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Political scientist Korte believes that today’s federal-state meeting is physically held again for the first time, it could be an advantage for Merkel. The chancellor also has influence because she no longer wants to become anything in politics.
tagesschau.de: Angela Merkel is meeting personally with the Prime Minister today for the first time since March to discuss the tense situation in Corona. In the end, however, you get the impression that everyone with heads of country does what they want anyway. What can Merkel still achieve?
Karl-Rudolf Korte: It is said that he has worked to ensure that this encounter takes place physically in any event. A very different solidarity can develop in such a personal encounter than in a video link. If everything only happens digitally, it leads to losses, we have known that since March. A loss of knowledge, but also a loss of will to compromise and reflect on common ground. Merkel’s chance of influencing the Prime Minister is formally greater because they see and interact again.
And Merkel still has the power to discipline, on the one hand because she no longer wants to become nothing. As a result, it has its own authority, which it has also developed as an official and specialized authority. On the other hand, the stakes are high for those at the table, the parties of the political center. So far the political center has benefited from this crisis, we are doing well in international competition. Merkel made a decisive contribution to this. And of course everyone involved is interested in finding a course that keeps it that way.
“Merkel, the president of the chancellor”
tagesschau.de: What does Merkel really want to achieve?
Brief: She is president of the Chancellor. She uses her strength and the power of her near-presidency here in party competition. So he acts in a quasi-bipartisan way, to that extent he is also free to lead cooperatively in his positions. It is unclear how it will position itself in relation to the individual measures to be discussed, i.e. accommodation ban, fines, mask requirement, etc. In any case, it is clear that you want to avoid an exponential growth in the number of infections, but in no case do you want a new lockdown.
Until now, it has acted in such a way that it relied on the self-efficacy of the people, the citizens, who see the measures if they are explained and justified. I believe that this basic line will not change, it will not suddenly fall into a regiment of ordering, but that it will continue to count with vehemence and passion in the support of the citizens. She uses a curated governance rather than an appellative arrangement.
“More uniformity would be a success”
tagesschau.de: Will Merkel push for greater uniformity?
Brief: Certainly a little more uniformity would be a success. But until now, part of our resilience and resilience has been that we allow differences. That we consider decentralization and diversity to be fit for the future and not just discredit them as a patchwork quilt. At the regional and local level, people are much better aware of the effectiveness and proportionality of various measures, as national regulations make little sense.
We also see in comparison with others: federally organized countries are better off if they also allow for differences. This also leads to mutual learning effects. However, there is a kind of framework to explain and justify measures so that the citizen can still understand something. I believe that Merkel will try to continue working within this framework. By setting the frame, you give direction to the rescue.
“If it goes wrong, countries are responsible”
tagesschau.de: What formal control does Merkel have over this issue if countries can basically decide everything for themselves?
Brief: Formally, only the epidemic law is applied and that is in the implementation in the sovereignty of the states, and the head of state decides. The federal government can only make financial resources available. After the first weeks of the crisis, Merkel practically transferred responsibility to the countries. So it is clear: if things go wrong, the states are responsible, and not the federal government. And the federal states are also aware of this responsibility.
“Merkel plays with power in moderation”
tagesschau.de: Wasn’t it a mistake that Merkel handed the responsibility over to the states at the end of the blockade, when the country’s leaders outmaneuvered each other with quick openings?
Brief: No, you can only readjust by learning. Just as we learn more and more about the virus, we also know the modified formats of political management in a crisis situation. Merkel has always exercised her power sparingly over the years and not pretending to drive anything.
At the time, she seemed a bit disappointed in his body language. But he clearly marked his position with the voters. That is, you want more uniformity and you are against uncoordinated openings. That the responsibility now rests with the countries and they can decide if they deviate from it.
“Merkel has an almost pastoral effect”
tagesschau.de: How is Merkel doing today as a crisis manager?
Brief: You can read that on the political barometers, because she gets very good reports. She is in a caring mode, it almost has a pastoral effect. He approaches problems in a way that he learns and has so far been proven correct in his evaluations. What is new is that for the first time it justifies and explains. Before that, she was quite pragmatic with few explanations, not saying what she was actually doing.
The interview was conducted by Sandra Stalinski, tagesschau.de.
