Corona / NRW: Laschet still in relaxation debate – “immense harm” warning

Munich / Dusseldorf – Armin laschet He was on his way to becoming CDU leader, candidate for chancellor, and probably chancellor. The Corona crisis, which affected his home country almost as badly as Bavaria, is shaking up all plans. How Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Laschet has to make the most difficult decisions of his mandate in the fight against the virus. As a CDU politician, he is at the same time across the country at the head of the heads of government promoting the loosening. What follows We agreed to have a detailed interview with Laschet, by far by phone.

Mr. Laschet, this year we will probably have to go home on vacation. Where can we find you during the summer holidays?

I don’t know if there is enough time for vacation this year. A few days on Lake Constance with the family would be enjoyable.

His Union friends Söder and Merkel have already given national travel advice in public. South, Söder said. North, Merkel said. Only the West, your NRW, would be out of the game, Söder joked.

The situation of the tourism industry is quite serious. We are happy with everyone who goes on vacation to the Sauerland, the Münsterland, the Eifel, the Rhine or the Siebengebirge. They all advertise their own country, and I didn’t know that Bavaria is beautiful until I graduated from Munich.

Seriously: Are you upset by all these little punctures from Munich?

No When Markus and I talk, we often stumble.

Corona: Laschet still in the relaxation debate – “immense harm” warning

We make a different observation: just as Söder was rushing to close the country, now he is rushing with relaxation. It is also about the theme of the chancellor in the Union at heart!

Sure, not. It is true that I warned from the beginning about the weight of the damage, including that caused by massive interference with fundamental rights: social, health and economic damage. But the openings we are talking about now are basically parallel in all countries despite different concerns. I have always promoted that. What is particularly important to me: we must bear in mind that we can also cause immense damage through the blockade. That is what many doctors, social organizations, the child protection association, companies and unions tell us.

Opening too fast.

Of course Therefore, we must be careful, grope, weigh again and again. I call that a return to responsible normalcy. There is also damage to health if we don’t open it. We have children who have not been in daycare, school, or the pediatrician for weeks; undesirable developments in some families are now invisible. We have cases of depression, loneliness, suicides. Rehabilitation clinics are closed. Bavarian doctors recently warned that heart attacks would be delayed because those affected avoided clinics for fear of crown infections. That can not be.

Söder prefers “Bavarian caution instead of stumbling”. Do you feel directed?

No We are very careful The key question is: do we close all public life for a long time? Or are we getting used to it, as Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz aptly put it, to take responsibility and protect ourselves in a more specific way, for example with hygiene and distance rules and infection chain tracking, soon with an app? The numbers currently give us space for greater personal responsibility. Caution is always correct, and the regions of Bavaria are certainly affected differently than North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, where the success of our measures has been visible before. But I am optimistic that the situation in Bavaria will continue to improve and that a perspective on a new normal will open up.

Laschet on the Crown crisis in Germany: “There are reasons to wait”

Looking back: was it right not to cancel the carnival at NRW? What about the strong beer festival in Bavaria?

We all learn about it. I don’t want to comment on the conduct of the strong beer festivals in Bavaria in March. I suppose the authorities have carefully considered their decisions here. The following should be known about the carnival that ended in February: The first case of the crown occurred on the Tuesday after the carnival in Heinsberg. We then quickly take all necessary steps, such as closing schools and daycare in the district overnight. The fact that we act consistently from the beginning and that we succeed in fighting the pandemic is also confirmed by the facts. North Rhine-Westphalia had an R value according to the Helmholtz model of 0.448 this weekend, when the national R value was 0.76, the second best value in Germany. There is no reason to make everything clear, that may change again. But there is hope.

You messed with virologists. They said the crown crisis was too severe to be left alone to virologists and their changing recommendations …

This is not how I put it. It is true that politicians in this situation trust the knowledge of experts. Virologists and epidemiologists are currently of great importance and their scientific contribution is of great value. At the same time, it is difficult if politicians absolutely establish the evaluation of virologists and then virological recommendations change frequently: close schools or not, wear masks or not. In this crisis, we have to make holistic science-based decisions. For this we also need ethicists, sociologists, lawyers, economists who can contribute their knowledge. In the end, politics always has to decide.

There are many misunderstandings about how the long stop is warranted. First were the doubling numbers, then the R value, now the general precautionary principle. Lack of transparency!

There have been political disagreements about whether it is correct to speak about standards. I think so. We need criteria They must be so clear to all citizens that they can see: Aha, if this and that objective is achieved, public life is possible again. The more transparent we are, the more people will stick to the rules. So it is in a liberal democracy.

The chancellor has not followed you in this line of argument until today.

He also recently emphasized how important the interdisciplinary approach is. Also, it doesn’t matter. We can set different accents between the federal government and the federal states on matters of fact. Everyone knows how much I appreciate the chancellor.

NRW / Corona: Laschet wants a step-by-step plan for nurseries and primary schools

On May 6, the Prime Ministers meet again with the Chancellor to decide on nurseries and primary schools. What will you fight for?

It is time for us to give prospects again to employees, but especially to families and children. Children and parents in particular are suffering greatly right now. We need clear step-by-step plans for kindergartens and schools, but also mass sports. All this, of course, with national standards for protection concepts.

And how should restaurants continue?

A difficult question. As soon as alcohol is involved, the distance requirement is often forgotten. But even if we don’t open restaurants right away, businesses and their many employees now need perspective. Gastronomy is an important part of our culture. Here, too, we need at least common step-by-step plans that give the entire industry a temporary orientation.

Also read: Coronavirus: Maas demands transparency from China on the origin of the pandemic

How long does it make sense to keep external borders closed?

As a European, my heart hurts when I see the blocked European bridge between Kehl and Strasbourg. We should get to the opening of the French border quickly, shortly after the curfew in France ends on May 11. The economic reconstruction of Europe can only be successful with open internal borders. I fought hard to keep our national border with Belgium and the Netherlands open, which thankfully never closed. Our problem was not the foreigners who entered the country, but the Germans who returned from their ski vacations and who brought the virus.

Laschet: “We have to take into account that the blockade also causes immense damage”

And in the south, the border with Austria?

I am not talking to my colleagues in the south.

For a long time they were considered the chancellor’s favorites. But now Merkel is praised by her intimate enemy Merz for her handling of the crown. Are you concerned about the support of the Merkel camp in the election of the president?

At the moment I am not concerned with this question, and citizens have other concerns in addition to the CDU presidency issue. I work practically all day to make the most of the country, for which I am responsible as Prime Minister, the crisis in Corona.

If there is no rush anyway: would it be okay if AKK just remains the leader of the CDU?

She does her job responsibly, that is appreciated at the party. We will discuss everything else at a different time.

Söder goes far in every poll for the best candidate for chancellor in the Union. Do popularity rankings have to play a role in the selection?

Again: we are not currently dealing with this. The CDU has exceptionally good values ​​in North Rhine-Westphalia, where it was in opposition for 50 years, at 40 percent and above the CDU national average. According to all surveys, people are satisfied with the state government. I am also pleased that the CSU has returned to 50 percent and that the Prime Minister is popular. Markus Söder does everything for Bavaria, which is highly valued, including me. If the Union is strong in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, it will do all of Germany good.

Interview: Georg Anastasiadis and Christian Deutschländer

Also read: Does Corona knock everything down? Seehofer praises Merkel, and gives insight into the powerful internal debates, and Corona was also the subject of “Anne Will” on Sunday night. Markus Söder was met with strong opposition in the group.

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