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So far, meetings and exchanges between the chancellor and the prime minister have been a harrowing affair. For hours, participants debated new measures in the fight against the coronavirus. The chancellor and some prime ministers were very upset afterward.
Everything was different that Sunday.
At 10 am, Angela Merkel had an appointment with her colleagues in the country to change, just under an hour later, the strict lockdown was already in place. A little later, a visibly exhausted foreign minister, who had to attend a grueling EU summit that night, sat in front of journalists to explain the results. “We are obligated to act, and we act now,” he said. At his side in the Chancellery were the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder (CSU), the ruling mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, and the Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz (both from the SPD). This time, the press conference was also almost fast: politics at a dizzying pace.
The chancellor had been pushing for stricter measures for weeks, but it didn’t reach everyone. In hindsight, scolding was not an option. Today is not the day to look back, but “what needs to be done,” the foreign minister said.
The chancellery pressed
The fact that it has gone so fast this time is not just due to hard facts, the increasing number of infections and deaths in recent weeks, the fact that the recently agreed softer shutdown is not working. The Chancellery, as heard in Berlin, made it clear in advance that one could only unite if this time it was clear what the states and the federal government wanted to agree on. In Söder’s words, it sounded like this: He praised the “good preparation” of everyone involved at the federal and state levels and the “clear leadership” of the Chancellor.
That it turned out like this was by no means a surefire success. As recently as Friday, it was unclear in many state chancelleries whether change would come so quickly.
But then things happened quickly: on Saturday, as usual, there were separate appointments between the SPD-led countries and the Union-led countries. On Sunday there was largely a joint plan between the Foreign Ministry and the federal states, with the possibility of a quick decision. In Baden-Württemberg, where Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) ruled with the CDU, people were satisfied: the chancellor had “made it”. The draft was discussed constructively, and from the preliminary negotiations it was already clear to all that closure was coming. No point in the presentation had been questioned, except for the theme of Christmas, there had been a change in the number of people, according to Stuttgart.
In detail, federal state regulations differ
Starting on Wednesday, life in the country will be largely closed (here the original resolution), countries regulate individual measures in detail. With the exception of some stores, including those for daily necessities, the store largely closes until January 10. (Read the details here).
However, it was mostly about the regulations for Christmas and holidays, the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. A passage that seems complicated and was even commented by the group participants with the phrase that “what was wanted” “was not clearly expressed”. (Read the complex details here.) Individual states want to adhere to their regulations, such as Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt.
New Year’s Eve should also be quieter. There is a national ban on the sale of firecrackers, and gatherings are also banned across the country on December 31 and January 1. In addition, there is »a ban on fireworks in public places to be defined by the municipalities«.
Single parents and families with children are particularly affected
Despite increasing secularization, Christmas is also a feast of faith for many people. In the next few days it will be discussed with the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious communities how it looks with religious services and other religious events. Rules for church services decided by the federal and state governments on Sunday have already been implemented in many places, such as the mask requirement, the ban on singing for congregations, and the registration lists for Christmas services, according to the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) after the decision.
The drastic measures will mainly affect families and single parents. The abolition of compulsory attendance in all schools starting at the primary level and the closure of kindergartens as of Wednesday are intended to allow institutions and families to prepare for it. Individual countries are already moving forward at full speed: in Brandenburg, for example, face-to-face classes will no longer take place from Monday.
The mayor of Berlin, Müller, who is currently in charge of coordinating the country, defended Wednesday as the start date: 52 percent of single parents are in the capital alone and those affected need time to prepare. Kindergartens in Berlin will therefore remain open for the time being, but parents are kindly requested to take care of the children at home.
Söder’s clear warning
On that day, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Söder, again issued the eloquent warning: “If we do not pay attention, Germany will quickly become the problem child in all of Europe.” Family. “That is why not only are most of the shops in the city center closed, but there is also an alcohol ban to avoid“ mulled wine to go or mulled wine jumps. ”This time Söder avoided any tip against other countries. Bavaria, he admitted, is a hotspot in view of the high number of infections, the spread of the virus is moving from south to north, that “is not a question of better or worse, but of affected together and immediately” .
Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg had advanced to another point in recent days, when they issued exit restrictions in their countries from the afternoon hours until the early hours of the morning. This will now also be possible at the national level. Bavaria will now enact it for the entire Free State. Thuringia, which is ruled by left-wing Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow, plans a similar move, as a cabinet proposal shows: From December 16 to January 10, the Free State, with specific exceptions, must have ‘night out restrictions’ from 10 pm to 5 am “Apply in the morning, says the paper that SPIEGEL has on hand.
It seems that Germany is closing again a little after spring. Also in anticipation of vaccines. But here are problems: By the end of January, only three to four million doses of Biontech / Pfizer vaccines will be available in Germany, as was made clear in Sunday’s newsletter. That, and the still lack of approval in the EU, could slow down the rate of vaccination coverage. (Read the details here).
The measures now decided apply until January 10. For now. How things will go in January, “we cannot say today,” the foreign minister told the media. The next change will take place on January 5. This is the plan.
In Sunday’s round, one of the prime ministers asked the chancellor about the situation after January 10. If necessary, Merkel said, an extension of the measures should be expected if the seven-day incidence has not dropped to 50 per 100,000 inhabitants. This can also be communicated in this way in countries.
And Merkel referred to a formulation in the joint federal-state resolution: the health authorities must be able to “identify and interrupt the chains of infection as completely as possible and thus further reduce the number of sick people.”
That is an ambitious goal. In its current state, Germany still has a long way to go.
