News of the day: Corona decisions, Karin Strenz, China

When Jens spahn He appeared last Friday morning before the federal press conference and was questioned about the vaccination summit on Friday afternoon, the Health Minister rolled his eyes in exasperation. Today, all telephone switches would be exaggerated to the “top”, he complained. However, these are fairly normal political meetings in government affairs. Today is Monday Prime Minister’s Conference – short for the news junkies among us #MPK – another summit like that. Perhaps the meeting would be better described as the low point of the crown’s crisis management?

The committee has always existed, but since the outbreak of the pandemic it has been of particular importance, it meets every two to four weeks. The federal-state conference between the Chancellor and Prime Ministers establishes the regular that society must comply with to keep the corona infection process under control. I have not counted the meetings since the fall of last year, but the impression I have is that in reality always decided the wrong thing has been. (See a video here on the politically inconsistent decisions.) Relaxation was allowed at the close where it should have been tighter. Schools and kindergartens were opened, although countries were still completely devoid of trial strategies. Meetings were expanded where they should have been restricted. The majority of the population is against relaxation, according to a recent SPIEGEL poll, 40 percent even advocate tightening, probably because they want the ghost to end as quickly as possible.

But the political newspapers always meticulously determine how to do it. Private individuals have to behave. the economy But politics has always ignored it, as if the coronavirus is bowing. Construction sites, factory buildings and open plan offices. Apart from commerce, gastronomy and culture, it was only “urgently requested”, it was “asked again”, it was “quickly sought” for the economy to act in accordance with the pandemic. Consequences = zero. If a mother sits on a playground without a mask, she may risk a fine. The employer who finds the home office impractical has nothing to fear. After all, you are now being asked to offer your employees medical masks for the office.

Even after today’s resolutions, nothing else will happen. So far there have only been drafts, the “summit” has not yet been climbed or the valley of tears has not yet been crossed, depending on your perspective. But the most important points are on the table:

• The closure will continue extended until April 18.

• In counties with incidence values ​​greater than 100, it could night out restrictions to be added.

• Schools and kindergartens could close againunless tested twice weekly or incidence values ​​rise above 200.

• The retail openings that were allowed in the last MPK two weeks ago, the one that was introduced, are going to be reversed. The “emergency brake” must be pulled.

• For The easing planned for Easter, on the other hand, has been ruled out again: Meetings with four people beyond your own home plus children up to the age of 14 from the closest family circle should originally be allowed. Most Germans want to stay home anyway (more info in Corona update).

Because this ho and hott has gone on for many months and has not acted more consistently from the start, we will be on 12. April Have another federal-state conference where, you don’t need to be a fortune teller, due to the exponential increase in number renewed extension of closure will be decided. What is really irritating, however, is the boring routine with which politicians now announce decisions, as if not for the millions of people behind them who suffer from loneliness, lose income and have to give up their livelihoods. According to the motto: MfG, your MPK.

two. Why did Karin Strenz die?

With the name Karin Strenz Very few people outside of Berlin’s political life will probably be able to start something right away. Since 2009 he has been a member of the Bundestag for the CDU in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Chancellor Angela Merkel also has her constituency. On Sunday night, Strenz collapsed in the plane on a return flight from a trip from Cuba and died after an emergency landing in Shannon, Ireland. She was with her husband. Ms. Strenz was only 53 years old.

Strenz was a controversial politician. Shortly after entering parliament, he was suspected of having kissed with despots. In a video broadcast on Azerbaijani state television in 2010, he praised a “good choice” in Azerbaijan, »According to international standards. It is not necessary to criticize it ». It was already clear at the time that the ruler Ilcham Aliyev was doing everything he could to crack down on free elections. In 2015, Strenz participated in a Council of Europe election observation mission. The OSCE did not send election observers due to the threat of obstruction. The European Parliament asked its member states “to refrain from carrying out electoral observation activities” so as not to legitimize the election. Strenz on the other hand, he welcomed the fact that Azerbaijan “has taken another step towards free, fair and democratic elections.” There was criticism, he felt a conspiracy, but he put his office at the Council of Europe to rest.

Last year, the prosecutor investigated, among other things, on suspicion of bribery. Strenz is said to have received money from Azerbaijan through diversions, between 7,500 and 15,000 euros. The Bundestag lifted his immunity, so One hundred officers ransacked the MP’s office von Strenz in the Bundestag, his private apartment and other apartments, business premises and law firms in Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bavaria and Belgium.

Now the Schwerin prosecutor has launched a death investigation. In this way, information on the cause of death could be obtained from Irish authorities, an agency spokesman said. He assumes that Strenz’s body will be autopsied in Ireland. The Schwerin Prosecutor’s Office has not yet received any information on the cause of death and therefore there is no evidence of a possible unnatural death.

3. How should the world tame China?

China’s role in the world is increasingly opaque. Twenty or thirty years ago, the country was seen primarily as the world’s workbench. Almost all industrialized countries had cheap production there. But the more prosperous the country becomes, the more dependent the world is on China, the more it succeeds and does not care about international customs. Uighurs, who are mostly Muslim, are unpopular in the country and hundreds of thousands are quartered in re-education camps. The former British crown colony of Hong Kong has gradually been subordinated to the Beijing power apparatus since it was returned in 1997. Freedom of expression is systematically impeded, broadcast media such as the BBC are banned in China and social platforms. China is becoming increasingly involved in hostage diplomacy, which means that the country is trying to influence legal proceedings against its own citizens abroad by incarcerating other citizens in their own country without a legal basis.

The EU has imposed sanctions on China for human rights violations for falling into dictatorial conditions. The foreign ministers of the EU member states decided to take punitive actions against those responsible in the country. Soon after, the Chinese responded and responded with countermeasures. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, some parliamentarians, including Green Reinhard Bütikofer and Michael Grahler (CDU) and their families, are banned from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

My colleague Bernhard Zand was a correspondent in China for eight years, now reporting from Hong Kong, from abroad, so to speak, although that is not entirely true. Because through the controversial security law, China wants to treat Hong Kong like any other Chinese metropolis. Bernhard writes in his comment that the question arises “what is good about modern China as a defender of justice and freedom” when the country looks the way it does now.

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• Chappi hat: Not everyone is in dire straits during crown time. Animals are likely to be among the winners of the crisis. People who already had some have had more time to dedicate to them since the start of the pandemic. Animals without a master or mistress have increased their chances of finding a new home, because many households have purchased a pet. As a result, the industry behind this also benefited: the turnover in the German pet industry increased last year by a good five percent to around 5.5 billion euros, announced the Association of the Supply Industry for Pets (IVH) and the Central Association of German Zoological Enterprises. (ZFF). Most interesting find: What are all the trade associations in Germany for: More gifts for Bello.

Typo of the day, meanwhile corrected: “Berlin Mayor Müller, Chancellor Merkel and Bavarian Prime Minister Söder”

Caricature of the Tages: Federal Cross of Merit for exceptional long patience

You could first have a nice dinner and then attend a concert by the Berliner Philharmoniker. Orchestra director Kirill Petrenko plays the second symphony of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov at the Philharmonic … Hey, what are you writing? Everything is closed. That’s correct, but what do I mean? In Berlin they gave Philharmonic a concert held in front of 1000 listeners in a pilot test over the weekend. Tickets were sold out in three minutes. All of them had previously undergone a corona test, only one visitor tested positive. The project shows: It works! With a little creative drive and flexibility, a gastronomic and cultural life could be re-enabled that would give support and confidence to so many people. As long as everything is stubbornly cropped to “closed”, you can at least cook something good and then stream this video on your TV. As an aperitif of better times, so to speak.

I wish you a good night. Sincerely
Yours Janko Tietz

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