THEY HAD cleared their diaries for three days, but in the end it took just eight hours. Late on July 1st the leaders of Germany’s ruling parties finalise(最终确定)d a 34-point “programme for growth and employment” designed to lift the country’s sagging(下垂的；萎靡的) spirits, covering everything from reforms to the ailing(处境困难的；生病的) public-pension system to liberalisation of Sunday-trading laws(德国周日交易法). The package alone is unlikely to zap life into(注入活力) a rapidly deindustrialising(去工业化的) economy that has barely grown since 2019. In some respects it disappoints. But since Friedrich Merz(弗里德里希·默茨（德国总理）), the chancellor, formed his centrist coalition just over a year ago, it has over-promised, underdelivered(承诺过多，兑现不足) and squabbled(争吵，口角) endlessly. Some thought it might not survive. Now it has shown itself capable of comprehensive action. The sighs of relief were audible(听得见的) over Berlin.
他们原本预留了三天时间，但最终只用了八小时。7月1日晚，德国执政党领导人敲定了一项34点的“增长与就业计划”，旨在提振该国低迷的士气，内容涉及从改革摇摇欲坠的公共养老金体系到放宽周日交易法。仅凭这一揽子计划不太可能为自2019年以来几乎零增长的快速去工业化经济注入活力。在某些方面它令人失望。但自总理弗里德里希·默茨一年多前组建中间派联盟以来，该联盟一直承诺过多、兑现太少，无休止地争吵。一些人曾认为它可能撑不下去。如今它展现出了采取全面行动的能力。柏林上空传来的宽慰叹息声清晰可闻。
“We want to get Germany back on track(重回正轨), and it is now clear that this is possible,” said Mr Merz on July 2nd. The parties backed a raft of(大量；许多) measures to snip back(削减；剪除) the red tape(繁文缛节；官僚主义) that bedevils(折磨；困扰) German business, including what Mr Merz called the “bureaucratic monster(官僚怪物)” of data-protection rules. They promised to back EU proposals to tackle subsidised(受补贴的) Chinese exports. They also vowed to pass a law to forestall a plan by Die Linke, a hard-left party, to expropriate corporate landlords should it take power in Berlin in an election in September.(他们还誓言要通过一项法律，阻止左翼党在9月柏林选举中上台后没收企业房东财产的计划。)
“我们想让德国重回正轨，现在清楚这是可能的，”默茨先生7月2日表示。各党派支持了一系列措施，以削减困扰德国企业的繁文缛节，包括默茨所称的数据保护规定这个“官僚怪物”。他们承诺支持欧盟应对中国补贴出口的提议。他们还誓言要通过一项法律，阻止左翼政党“左翼党”在9月柏林选举中获胜后没收企业房东房产的计划。
The trickiest debate(最棘手的辩论) was over how to fulfil a promise of tax relief for Germany’s low- and middle-income earners. Around €10bn ($11bn) has been found, funded in part by the grudging(勉强的；不情愿的) acquiescence(默许；顺从) of Mr Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) to raise taxes on those with incomes above €250,000—probably only around 150,000 people. Lars Klingbeil, finance minister and leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), the junior coalition partner(较小执政联盟伙伴), had hoped for more. But the CDU and its Bavarian(巴伐利亚的；巴伐利亚人) sister party, the Christian Social Union, refused to raise taxes more broadly, or to take a scythe to(大幅削减；下重手) Germany’s range of tax breaks(税收减免) and subsidies.
最棘手的辩论是关于如何履行对德国中低收入者的减税承诺。他们已找到约100亿欧元（110亿美元），部分资金来自默茨的保守派基民盟（CDU）勉强同意对年收入超过25万欧元的人增税——可能只有约15万人。财政部长兼社民党（SPD）领袖拉尔斯·克林贝尔，作为较小执政伙伴党，曾希望更多。但基民盟及其巴伐利亚姊妹党基社盟拒绝更广泛地增税，也不愿大幅削减德国的一系列税收减免和补贴。