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Status: 10/30/2020 12:27 pm
In a special session, members of the state parliament in Hannover are debating the new crown restrictions, which should apply from Monday.
The president of the Landtag, Gabriele Andretta, considers the meeting on the next partial closure urgently necessary. Parliament meets before the corresponding regulation enters into force. Given that this implies a great interference in the rights of citizens to freedom, “it is necessary to hold a debate in parliament on the justification of the measures and the proportionality of the funds.” The parliamentary group FDP had convened the special session, the other parliamentary groups did the same. The agenda also includes two urgent questions from the Greens and the FDP.
Planned government statement and debate
Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) announced a government statement at the beginning. According to the state parliament, about two hours are planned for this and the subsequent debate between the deputies. “When Prime Minister Stephan Weil has to explain his government policy and the ordinances of Corona, it is not an act of grace, but his duty,” said the Speaker of the State Parliament. Strong parliamentary rights are anchored in the Lower Saxony constitution. “Only open and transparent procedures generate trust in the population.” Discussion should help make decisions transparent and understandable. The discontent that has been governed by decree for eight months is understandable, Andretta continued.
Criticisms of business associations
The planned restrictions are the subject of criticism, especially in the economy. “The federal government and the minister-presidents are taking a risky path,” criticized the business association NiedersachsenMetall, for example. A large part of the middle class is already on the brink, one in two companies in Lower Saxony’s electrical and metal industry is in the red. Renate Mitulla, managing director of the Dehoga Hotel and Restaurant Association in Lower Saxony, said that a third of restaurants in Lower Saxony are at serious risk of bankruptcy due to forced closures. He announced that he would examine the legal steps and, if necessary, file a lawsuit within the next week.
Greens want advice against the pandemic
Meanwhile, the parliamentary group of the Greens demands that the state government involve the associations, the public and the parliament more closely in the politics of the crown. A bill presented on Friday provides for the establishment of a pandemic council, which advises the state government and the state parliament on all measures to combat the epidemic and its effects on society.
There are now more than 30 access points in the country
Meanwhile, in Lower Saxony, the number of new infections has reached a new record. Of the 45 independent districts and cities in Lower Saxony, more than 30 were already so-called hotspots on Friday. The state now wants to provide municipalities with up to 1,200 state officials for contact tracking.
More information
Crown in Lower Saxony – current reports
