I'll agree that many of Merkel's measures are not "socialist", but let's also keep perspective and realize that her measures do not shift the underlying social

I'll agree that many of Merkel's measures are not "socialist", but let's also keep perspective and realize that her measures do not shift the underlying social dynamics away from modern socialism's tenets, and that the changes appear as a general global trend of globalization and an aging population that makes maintaining the benefits more difficult than before. Considering the fact that many countries have paid a much, much heftier price on their social welfare than Germany and have not improved substantially means that the balance need not shift as much as many people claim.