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secondChancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) defended the federal and state governments’ decision on stricter requirements for larger companies in a government statement in the Bundestag on Thursday. The criticisms came later from the ranks of the AfD, the Left Party and the FDP.
The leader of the AfD parliamentary group, Alice Weidel, criticized Corona’s policy: “You have caused the greatest damage to our economy (…)”. The decisions would profoundly affect the lives and rights of citizens and businesses.
“What citizens are expected to do is inconsistent, contradictory, of dubious use, and saturated with the antidemocratic spirit of condescending government.” It is not up to the government to determine who meets whom in their private homes and when, or in what context, someone celebrates Christmas. “That is inappropriate and that is excessive,” Weidel said.
The AfD politician also spoke about the new Infection Protection Law. The law contains “dubious measures” and the parliament remains “bystanders.” With a view to the continued closure of restaurants, as well as cultural and leisure facilities, Weidel said the federal government has already done more damage than the virus itself, and that the current closure will end much of its existence.
“You’re just provocative and vicious”
The leader of the SPD parliamentary group, Rolf Mützenich, on the other hand, described the new measures as “appropriate, understandable and realistic”. He added: “My group supports the decisions.” He referred to the development of the figures, which were still “too high”. There is no such thing as “the only decision”. Other countries in Europe should have painfully noticed this. It’s about responsibility and proportionality.
Mützenich made serious accusations against the AfD in his speech. “You are provocative and mean,” she said. “There is no other way to explain your policy.” In his speech, Mützenich referred to the incidents of the previous week: Several interferers who had come to the Bundestag at the invitation of the AfD had harassed and insulted politicians. This allowed the AfD “to attack a constitutional body,” Mützenich said.
The leader of the FDP parliamentary group, Christian Lindner, believes that the extension of the measures is fundamentally correct, but criticized the individual conditions at the same time. You have to focus on the correct approach to combat the pandemic. The quality of the Corona policy is not measured “by the severity of the prohibitions”, but by “how well it protects those who are really at risk.”
He called for a “protective screen” to be established for people whose risk of corona disease is particularly high: in particular, the elderly and people with previous illnesses. This is time consuming and expensive because the population is large.
Cultural and economic life would then be possible again, if not without rules. He particularly criticized regulations in commerce. People would stand together on the bus to go shopping, then they would line up and then they would have 20 square meters to themselves. “Where is the scientific evidence that the virus becomes more dangerous as the sales area increases?” Lindner asked rhetorically.
The desired “November breakwater” turned into a “December stalemate.” He feared that the city centers would be deserted, and made other suggestions: taxi vouchers for those affected so they would not have to travel by bus and train. Specific time slots could also be reserved for purchases.
Bartsch criticizes lack of legitimation
The leader of the left-wing parliamentary group, Dietmar Bartsch, criticized that the round of federal and state governments alone is not adequate to make decisions to combat the pandemic. There are also severe restrictions on fundamental rights, and “this body is not entitled to do this,” Bartsch said in the Bundestag.
The leader of the union parliamentary group Ralph Brinkhaus supported the decisions of the federal and state governments. “In the end, the numbers decide, and the numbers are still bad,” said the CDU politician, emphasizing: “We are far from the end of the pandemic.” The extension of the measures is fair and necessary.
The leader of the green parliamentary group Anton Hofreiter addressed the issue of vaccines in the Bundestag debate. The prospect gives cause for hope: “The light at the end of the long tunnel is getting brighter,” Hofreiter said. “We will overcome this pandemic.” However, the global vaccine distribution will be a “global test.” National egoisms should not predominate here. Above all, democratic industrialized countries must ensure that vaccines are also accessible to developing countries.
Hofreiter welcomed federal state resolutions to partially extend and tighten the rules. This is “correct,” he said. However, he was “more cautious about whether the measures were sufficient,” Hofreiter added. In either case, they are “the bare minimum” and must also be applied consistently.
Requirements “fairly moderate” compared to other countries
The restrictions adopted are “an imposition on citizens in their daily lives,” admitted Hofreiter at the same time. For sectors particularly affected, such as gastronomy, tourism and leisure, conditions are tough. But they are necessary and “quite soft” compared to countries like France or Italy.
Hofreiter described the current corona infection numbers as “too, too high.” There is still the risk that the health system will be overloaded and the monitoring of the infection chains by health authorities “cannot work with such high numbers.”
In addition, the current contagion situation means a lot of human suffering, Hofreiter said, especially regarding those who died of and with Corona. “Thousands and thousands” of people were infected and suffered “serious consequences.” After a corona infection, you have to “grapple with the consequences for months if you’re unlucky,” Hofreiter noted. “And that’s why these numbers finally have to go down.”
The Green politician criticized the federal and state governments for the fact that the resolutions passed on Wednesday only last until early January. There is too much push “on sight” and there is “too little planning and foresight.”
Hofreiter agreed with the leader of the Union parliamentary group, Brinkhaus, who in his speech criticized the “little by little” approach of the Bund-Länder Round and called for a longer-term strategy. “Then we will decide it here in Parliament,” Hofreiter said. “We offer you that.”
