Crown crisis in Germany and Angela Merkel: mom gives little

Good morning, dear readers,

Here is the annotated description of the day’s topics:

WHAT IT WAS?

Authority is a special quality. You don’t have it, other people give it to you. “Influence of a person based on performance or tradition and the resulting reputation”: This definition gives us the Duden, but, of course, it takes more in political business to be considered an authority. Make. Experience. Contacts Aura and perseverance are important. Specialized knowledge, so you must read a lot (or you need hardworking assistants to take care of reading). You must feel the mood. And the gift of finding the right words at the crucial moment.

Angela Merkel has had the backing of the Germans for almost two months in the Corona crisis, the majority of the population followed his authority. The chancellor decided to block contacts and sent the citizens to isolation, closed the shops and almost paralyzed public life. She only succeeded with the force of her authority; Insight or police patrols alone would not have been enough. His speeches and appeals served as a guide for millions of people in the greatest crisis in decades. She won’t like the image herself, but it still fits: like a Mother of the nation Angela Merkel protected citizens from the evil virus.

Most people followed her, and that was correct. It was only thanks to the impressive discipline of millions of citizens between Flensburg and Füssen, between Dresden and Duisburg, that the Corona epidemic was brought under control. Many people complain about the consequences, some also complain, and some confused people even smell a diabolical plan behind the curfew, but one day they will read the history books in recognition of this great collective achievement by the Germans.

However, a paragraph later, you will read how the Chancellor got out of control. How first Mr Laschet and Mr Lindner from North Rhine-Westphalia, then Mr Kubicki from Wolkenkuckucksheim, then Mr Weil, Mr Kretschmer and gradually more and more prime ministers, deputies, district councilors, Local politicians and other incumbents joined the chorus of relaxation heralds. How one decision maker after another whistled the chancellor’s call for unity and opened what he had just closed: auto and furniture stores, sports shops and facilities, vacation apartments and camps, this and that. Like Mr. Söder, now a gloomy defender weaves! its T! the! Activities!, The day before the decisive meeting, the parties quickly changed and announced the relaxation, so as not to be late. And finally, the chancellor relaxed in the presence of her Union people and (since everything else had already been implemented a long time ago or had already been demanded by everyone else) Relief for schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions and nursing homes. Mrs Merkel, the week before “Open discussion orgies “ By reporting your concerns about getting back to normal too quickly, you have obviously recognized that you are fighting for a lost job. Then she changes sides. Mom gives little.

“The chancellor no longer leads the way, but the prime ministers” write our reporters Johannes Bebermeier and Tim Kummert, whose report I recommend this morning. “Now the political career has finally begun: some prime ministers now want to be great liberators,” cite a voice from around the chancellor, and analyze: “The chancellor has announced her political farewell; messages of discipline in the next government.”

You can make fun of yourself, but you can also leave it at that. That is politics. This is federalism and that is democracy. The representatives of the people do what they have chosen: they give votes to the wishes of the population and implement them. The reasons for centrifugal forces are obvious:

First is both the number of currently infected (around 32,000) and the number of reproductions (0.71) drastically reduced, Health authorities and hospitals largely control the situation.

Secondly pressure from companies and business associations increases, finally be able to unlock everything again. According to a McKinsey study, gross domestic product falls by around € 15 billion a week.

Third Many people have the blue of the crown. It is spring outside, they want to return to their normal life. He wants to shop, play sports, go to the restaurant, meet friends, plan a vacation, get rid of the crown mane at the hair salon.

Room There’s also a fuzzy sentiment that very few express (if they’re not called Boris Palmer), but that many appreciate: The deadly curse of Covid-19 almost only affects very old people, so younger people can go out again without to worry. The feeling is human, but it is also shaky and dangerous because it touches the line of carelessness: if many people neglect precautionary rules (keep your distance, wear a face mask, record contacts), the number of infections can quickly increase again . “There will be a second crown wave” with great certainty, Robert Koch Institute chief Lothar Wieler said yesterday. Many scientists even assume a third wave.

That is the situation. The risk remains high, but the centrifugal forces are greater. The state of emergency seems to have ended, the daily German policy has returned and the chancellor has returned to normal without further ado: from the indisputable crisis fighter to the head of government, who will lose control at the end of her term . So it is with authority. It does not possess it, it is granted. If the wind spins, it flies quickly.

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WHAT’S UP?

The men set the pace: Chancellor Merkel with Health Minister Spahn and Prime Ministers Laschet (NRW), Hans (Saar) and Söder (Bavaria) at the Chancellery in mid-April. (Source: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa)

Now is enough! Many citizens have this sentiment, so Berlin can only be expected to reach an agreement on how, and not on whether to relax further, if the Chancellor and Prime Minister meet today starting at 11 a.m. phone conference clink together The basis for this is the lowest infection numbers, victory over Covid-19 seems within reach. Today there are excellent chances of killing him shortly before the goal.

As the? Across the world, states that have the worst behind them or could simply avoid it like in Germany are opening the store again. Even Asians hailed as role models are gradually relaxing. South Korea check out the resumption of school operations from May 13, even in the strict Hong Kong Up to eight people can dine at the restaurant table at the same time. Many decision makers around the world decide the same thing right now. Not everyone can be wrong.

So it seems, until you take a closer look. Because under the magnifying glass it is clear that what is celebrated as a victory on stage over Covid-19 and praised as an expected return to normal could not be more different. South Korea now deals with new infections every day in the single-digit range: Monday there were only a few more Three Registered diseases. It was in Hong Kong Three in the last seven days, and they all came in from the outside. Meanwhile, we are happy in Germany that the number of new infections is no longer too high. 500 per day lies. Yes, that is also not enough. But the options for the future that result from these winning scenarios could not be more different.

To live with Corona, each country that is finally out of the worst faces a fundamental choice: Eradicate the disease by reducing infections to zero. Then you can go back to pre-crisis life and speed up everyday life and the economy at top speed. Or you live with a certain level of permanent infections, but this should remain low so that the situation does not get out of control again on the slightest occasion (for example, playing children or wrestling with recreational soccer players or happy restaurant visitors ). Then, he opts for an advance payment of his crown control credit, he lets life stutter again, but he has to live permanently with the remaining debts of an immediate illness, including the interest burden of permanent restrictions. Say: more infected, more dead, and even more rules of contact.

But isn’t there a gray area in the middle that can be explored? A little of both? Relaxed life, prosperous economy, but somehow without costly and stressful perseverance? Unfortunately it doesn’t look like this. The reason is Virus agility. Based on the current state of knowledge, there are only about 48 hours left to trace an infection and isolate people from contact in time. In this short period of time, someone who discovers suspicious symptoms must have passed the test, received the result, identified relevant contacts, and forced to stay home. If the time interval is not maintained, the still asymptomatic, possibly infected, contact person may have started infecting other people in their environment, and that Contagion chain flee the health authorities again. At least in a society that no longer wants to worry about strict contact restrictions.

So you have to choose when to keep your pandemic control credit – your hardship wages – in your hand. Today in Berlin we will probably experience a living redemption. As a result, from now on we will all have to live under these auspices and revitalize our daily and economic life while our hands are tied behind our backs. Merchants have an appropriate term for this: “costly savings.” Lay people probably call it the milkmaid’s bill.

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What to read and listen to?

Members of the Resistencia 2020 group. (Source: Christoph Soeder / dpa)

It is a place on the internet where people gather who are particularly dissatisfied with the situation in the Corona crisis, where people do not really believe in the danger of the virus, but in conspiracy theories: the new party “Endurance 2020” reported 100,000 members in a few days, which would make it bigger than the Greens, FDP, Left and AfD. Can that be true, and what do these people want? Our researcher Lars Wienand investigated the questions.

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It is a transcendental judgment that the constitutional judges brought down yesterday, and one that comes at an explosive moment: the Bond purchases, With which the European Central Bank indirectly provides money to euro countries contradicts parts of the Basic Law. What exactly follows from this our columnist Ursula Weidenfeld analyzed.

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The corona shock has reached the German labor market: The number of unemployed has increased by 300,000, ten million people have a short-term job. Is the worst over? Not at all, explains IW, labor market economist Holger Schafer in an interview with my colleague Florian Schmidt. Who may be the biggest losers in the future? he explains here.

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“I doubt that the laity can draw meaningful conclusions,” says Michael Bosnjak. (Source: ZPID)

We lay people too They are very interested in the scientific results these weeks. There is a danger in that, believes the psychology professor. Michael Bosnjak. Explain what that is in our “Soundtrack Knowledge” podcast.

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The Corona crisis slowed down Formula 1 – But the Austrian Grand Prix should start again in early July. Can the races start or is he now permanently stuttering? Formula 1 Legend Mika Häkkinen Look ahead in an interview with my colleague David Digili.

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What amuses me?

They are resourceful guys, these car managers.

(Source: Mario Lars)

I wish you a creative day.

Best regards,

you

Florian Harms
Editor-in-Chief t-online.de
Email: [email protected]

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