[ad_1]
It’s not every day that the chancellor seeks help because she can’t think of something. But there are also special days, rather weeks and months, as the crown pandemic dominated Germany. And then it can even happen to Angela Merkel, especially because after long discussions with the Prime Minister, she suddenly gets stuck.
Part of the required behavior, he says in the subsequent press conference, also for the pupils to wear a mask, to keep their distance, and then he’s naked. “There is one thing I’m missing right now after all these hours,” says Merkel. To his right is the Prime Minister of Berlin, Michael Müller, current president of the Conference of Ministerial Presidents (MPK), and to his left is Vice President Markus Söder, the head of government of Bavaria. One of them, not exactly understandable, now whispers: “Hygiene rules.” Yes of course, thank you!
And so Merkel can finish her list – and finally announce at least a little bit of good news: Yes, the measures will tighten again, but then at least from December 23, they will be relaxed again so that citizens can enjoy a little Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years. could.
Merkel and the prime ministers had met about seven and a half hours earlier. This time everything should be better than 10 days ago. As a reminder: the last meeting on the Monday before the last was somewhat chaotic and ended with almost no result because a large part of the country’s leaders felt that the Foreign Ministry had left them behind. In contrast to what was agreed the day before in the preparatory round between the heads of the state chancellery and the chancellery, Merkel’s draft resolution suddenly contained a series of adjustments, which were eventually almost completely eliminated in the round.
Merkel’s somewhat cocky suggestion that the federal states would be happy to take over the preparation was quickly implemented: in recent days, under the leadership of the president of the MPK in Berlin, the federal state side provided advice in various formats; Voted.
Was it really useful? In any case, even at the end of these deliberations, one is still a long way from a “long-term concept” that Berlin Prime Minister Michael Müller announced ten days ago for this round. And after the preparations of the country, they sit together more than a week and a half before.
This Wednesday is tough, including a roughly 15-minute break around 4 p.m. The debate over an additional incidence warning value above the 50 new infections per week per 100,000 previously applied got so caught up in the debate that Merkel asked for a break.
A novelty. But that also shows how much the tireless Chancellor’s strength is waning after eight months of pandemic and dozens of such rounds.
And in this debate, too, things get pretty confusing: Merkel’s stubbornly rejecting the proposal after a higher level of advocacy is upsetting even her closest allies in her country. Bavarian Prime Minister Söder, who is a permanent member of Merkel’s team as far as Corona is concerned, now speaks of a “federal own goal”. The Chancellor’s concern that federal states would only want to use the additional value to ease the previously applicable mandatory measures of 50 new infections also does not apply to Söder.
“Then I will say at the press conference that that is not enough for me”
After the pause of the consultation, Merkel finally gives in and additional measures are decided for the hotspots with more than 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.
Everyone in the group agrees that the numbers are still too high and the goal of breaking the second crown wave has yet to be achieved. The fact that vaccination can possibly start this year doesn’t help much.
The Bavarian Prime Minister, like the Chancellor, would have been in favor of further adjustment in the last MPK. “The death toll is currently as high as if a plane crashed every day.”
Even if the chancellor does not repeat this image, she sees it that way. And this time too, Merkel would like to implement more and tougher measures in one place or another, even if this is not discussed further at the final press conference.
But the Chancellor says it openly around the world, for example, during school discussion. Merkel is a bit tired, though, and obviously tires of having to always be the driver. Then he just takes over the proposal from the federal states school, he says according to the participants, “but then I’ll say at the press conference that that’s not enough for me.” This does not happen because a compromise is finally reached.
In essence, the round decides the following:
-
Rules for Christmas: As of December 23, meetings must be possible “with close relatives or friends”, up to a maximum of ten people. Children up to 14 years old should be exempt from this. The exemption must apply until January 1.
-
Private firecrackers New Years Eve is not forbidden public fireworks and the roar in crowded streets and squares, but it does. The federal and state governments also recommend that citizens skip the New Year’s Eve fireworks this year.
-
Countries want schools stick to classroom teaching. One Hybrid or alternate lessons It should be possible at hotspots from the new limit of 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days from the eighth grade, but not across the country. Merkel had insisted on taking steps to no avail. Among others, MPK chief Müller and Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer insisted on their responsibility, according to participants. Most of the country’s leaders doubt that schools are a factor of infection.
-
Gastronomic, recreational and cultural facilities stay closed. State aid to companies, institutions and people affected by the partial closure should continue in December.
-
For him Wholesale and retail the group agreed on a graduated procedure: In the future, if the area is more than 800 square meters, a maximum of one person for every 20 square meters may be present. In smaller stores, a maximum of one person should be allowed for every 10 square meters.
It can be doubted that the resolutions actually help break the second corona wave. The concern is that due to the relaxation during Christmas and New Years and New Years, the number of infections will again increase significantly. “The holidays must never become a setback again,” says Bavarian Prime Minister Söder.
It could possibly help if citizens follow the behavior of the head of the CSU on New Year’s Eve and go out into the streets without being drunk. He’s always indoors with his dogs at the turn of the year, says Söder. “I don’t know when I last detonated a missile. So except politically. “
From a pandemic point of view, that would be harmless.
