What happened
Merz\'s justification was unambiguously economic, not medical: he said Germany "can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work," not that the phone-certification system was producing bad health outcomes. The practical effect falls hardest on workers least able to absorb it — those without flexible schedules or nearby GP access now need a same-day doctor's appointment to avoid being treated as absent without leave, in a country already reporting GP capacity strain.
The move follows the same-term pattern set by the debt-brake reversal: a policy pitched as a hard-nosed fix for German competitiveness, imposed by executive announcement with minimal signalled process, that shifts cost and friction onto individuals rather than employers. Coverage so far is thin — this is a same-day announcement from a single source — and the practical rollout (enforcement, exemptions for chronic illness, GP capacity) is not yet clear.