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The leaders of rebellious countries hold back an overly cautious chancellor: that’s the impression after the Corona summit. But it is not true. Because Angela Merkel has achieved a lot and is once again director.
It was around 10.45pm, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Ministers Markus Söder and Michael Müller had already been reporting on the results of the Corona summit of more than eight hours when the question suddenly arose: how frustrated are you, Ms. Merkel ?
The chancellor generally rejects questions about his state of mind. He rarely reveals what is happening in public in public. But there were only a few sentences that came out of the session that sounded like a no-nonsense educator, after hours of persuasion, was slowly despairing of the 16 stupid kid’s scoundrel: “Our ads aren’t tough enough to take our mischief away. to avoid, “Merkel told the group of prime ministers in the early afternoon. It’s just not enough. And a bit cocky:” Then we’ll be back here in two weeks.
When in doubt: keep working
It can be assumed that Merkel considered suboptimal for these sentences to be made public. So she had to say something now. There are things she is satisfied with. And only those in which “you have to keep working.”
Then came his decisive message, which was not just a warning to leading politicians, but to the more than 80 million people living in Germany: “What worries me is the exponential increase, we have to stop it, otherwise it will not happen. lead to a good ending. We see it all around the corner. ” You just have to look at the neighboring countries. And for everyone to really understand, he added: “We have to stop this exponential increase: the faster the better.”
That still sounded like Merkel was not really satisfied with the results. In doing so, she has achieved a lot: not only that the decision sounds alarmist as she wanted and that she has enforced many details. It was also clearer yesterday than it has been in a long time that Merkel is again the German crown’s policy director.
Merkel did not enforce all the points, but many
It started with Merkel letting the heads of government of the countries travel to the Chancellery after months, one could also say: quoted. That was his signal: it’s so serious that digital conferencing alone can’t help anymore.
Merkel presented the group with a document of more than six pages that had been created in the Chancellery. Prime ministers don’t really appreciate being presented with more or less accomplished facts. It’s even more remarkable that Merkel didn’t enforce all the points, but quite a few.
And with it a paradigm shift. In the future, there will be a three-stage system that is based only on a key figure: Infected per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, the so-called incidence.
First level of climbing
As long as the incidence is less than 35, nothing changes. However, from a value of 35 restrictive measures are applied. At celebrations and meetings, only 25 people are allowed to meet in public spaces and 15 in private spaces. Additionally, an extended mask requirement applies.
Merkel would have liked to enforce a mandatory curfew starting at an incidence of 35, but apparently that was too much for even the most loyal prime minister. But Merkel has achieved one goal: earlier and far-reaching rules. Consequently, she explicitly stated that she was satisfied that there were stricter contact restrictions from an incidence of 35.
Second level of climbing
In addition, there is a tightening of the rules in areas that have already been considered risk areas. So those with 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. Now there is a curfew from 11 pm So alcohol cannot be sold anywhere, not even in small kiosks. The mask requirement is expanded, a maximum of 10 people are allowed to meet, in private rooms they are only allowed to come from two households.
It is about containing one of the most important sources for the spread of the virus: celebrations and gatherings are considered special sources of infection. The federal and state governments also stated that from a value of 50 onwards, it is almost impossible to trace the spread of the virus. After the Chancellor largely left to the Prime Minister in the summer how the rules are drawn up in detail, there are now uniform minimum standards in Germany.
Third level of climbing
Merkel’s indirect message to hotspots is: do everything possible so that the increase of 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants is not significantly exceeded. Otherwise, there is a risk that even stricter measures will be taken if the increase is not stopped within ten days.
In this case, “significant consequences for the health of citizens” could be expected, according to the decision. Specifically, it was agreed: Then only five people will be allowed to meet in the public space. A second blockade at the national level would also be conceivable, that is, exit restrictions as tough as in March.
What is not enough for Merkel?
It is foreseeable that no head of the country will escape the regulations that have now been approved. Additional tightening is more likely than early easing. Nobody believes that the situation will relax as quickly in the coming winter as in the spring.
So why did Merkel seem dissatisfied? What is not enough for her?
She enforced the escalation mechanism, but Merkel would have wished for stricter restrictions. A curfew from 11pm only when a region has already become a hotspot, that is, when the situation is already out of control, it actually seems a bit unambitious compared to countries like France. No one can leave their apartment between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
And the Chancellor also has to accept compromises at celebrations. NRW, Hessen and Rhineland-Palatinate only want to prescribe how big private pub parties can be, not how big they should be at home. Saxony also adheres to an older regulation, and Lower Saxony wants to reconsider it first. This is what is expressed in the statements of the minutes, in small print at the end of the resolution. Limiting house parties could be a bit tricky legally. And above all, difficult to control. But of course, as is often the case in politics, it is a signal.
At home you can celebrate as much as you want; that is certainly not what Merkel wanted to express.
The biggest dispute remains unresolved
And then there is, of course, the accommodation ban. It had been discussed for days before. The problem was so great that it was now postponed. On November 8, after the fall break, the regulations will be revised. Several countries have already said goodbye to him in the face of massive criticism also from the economy. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Hamburg held out tough.
Merkel is not satisfied with the inconsistent regulation, she said very clearly at the press conference. And the disagreement is particularly significant because the accommodation ban affects everyone, even if only one country introduces it. A ban in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania means that all travelers from access points in the other 15 federal states must present a negative corona test.
What the doctor recommends
So, a success, or is it not enough? Markus Söder put it this way: “In my opinion, it’s open if that will be enough.” In the group itself, like Merkel, he had threatened arrest, according to the participants: the only question was whether action would be taken in time, “because otherwise we will be back here in ten days.”
When in doubt, all citizens must abide by what the doctor says. Not everyone should simply ask themselves, “What am I allowed to do now?” Doctor and Chancellor Helge Braun said Thursday in the morning magazine “ARD.” “Basically, we all have to do more and be more careful than what the prime ministers decided yesterday.”
That also means: if the citizens do not play along, the medicine becomes increasingly bitter.
