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Protests, mistrust, hate speech: this year was a huge drag on social coexistence. Permanent damage to democracy can only be avoided with an exercise of force.
By Janne Kieselbach, tagesschau.de
Every night at 9pm, the applause resounds in the urban canyons of major German cities. People stand on their balconies and cheer for the brave nurses in the clinics. The gesture of gratitude is at the same time a security in oneself in the uncomfortable confinement: we are not alone, we can do it together. That was in April.
Meanwhile, it has cooled off in the field. Winter is here, and with it the second wave crowns. The number of infections is rising inexorably, pandemic fatigue has spread, and there has been no applause for a long time. A lot has happened since the virus hit Germany in the spring. And it is not only in hindsight that it is clear: the medical crisis is also a stress test for living together. The Chancellor spoke of a “democratic imposition.”
At first there is uncertainty
The first wave of pandemics and far-reaching countermeasures in March and April were initially followed by an astonishing agreement: neither the parliamentary opposition nor the population could hear strong objections to exit and contact restrictions, closed shops, restaurants, schools and daycare centers. Little is known about the virus in spring; the risk seems too imponderable.
The federal government, which is operating in crisis mode, achieved approval ratings during this period that would have been unthinkable in early April: in early April, two-thirds of respondents said ARD Germany trendwho are very satisfied or satisfied with the government’s work. That’s a lot for a grand coalition that was simply seen as unpopular. Union parties led by Angela Merkel rose from 27 percent on March 4 to their annual high on May 7 at 39 percent.
But while Germany in late April can wait, in a European comparison, the number of infections is developing favorably, unity in politics and society is crumbling. Start a discussion about the proportionality of the constraints. The word “relaxation” dominates the debate. Several prime ministers are trying to outdo their proposals, while Merkel feels alienated by the “orgies of opening discussion.” They agree on a general mask requirement so that they can gradually remove strict contact restrictions.
Federal Criminal Police Office warns of radicalization
Now, of all time, in the initial relaxation phase, it is becoming clear for the first time how much the pandemic is pulling on the nerves and causing fears: Restaurateurs are graphically burying their livelihoods in demonstrations, restrictions are occupying every again the courts, unemployment rises for the first time in April The Employment Agency predicts the “worst postwar recession”.
And yes, that too is increasingly becoming a reality: more and more conspiracy myths about the pandemic are circulating on the internet, and the demo group “lateral thinking 711” is founded in Stuttgart. On May 1, protests against Corona’s measures sparked riots in Berlin. On May 9, thousands of people demonstrated against hygiene requirements in several German cities. The Federal Criminal Police Office warns of a radicalization of the protests, which are also supported by right-wing extremists.
Strong polarization in society
In a representative survey conducted by TU Ilmenau and the University of Bern, 35 percent of people in Germany already said in early May that it bothers them that their lives cannot go on as usual. Almost two thirds of those questioned are in favor of measures to protect against infection, but at the same time 85 percent believe that they do not influence the government’s actions.
Social researchers such as Tübingen professor of rhetoric Olaf Kramer observed strong polarization in society during this phase. In the crisis of the crown, initially a strong cohesion gave way to a confrontation, supporters and opponents of the measures of the crown are now pitted against each other, says Kramer to the “Spiegel”. Sociologist Matthias Quent, director of the Jena Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, explains in an interview with tagesschau.de, he sees the emergence of “communities contrary to the official policy and the social cohesion of the majority.” Democratic taken for granted eroded in everyday life.
The Bundestag as a target
This confrontation becomes particularly clear in large-scale demonstrations across Germany: a mix of opponents of the measures, crown deniers, esotericists, vaccine skeptics, conspiracy narrators, and outspoken right-wing extremists take to the streets repeatedly. In late August, there was an unprecedented escalation in Berlin when hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Reichstag building. In November, protesters heroize themselves by comparing themselves to Nazi-era freedom fighters or the rebellious people of the GDR in decline.
These extreme positions so criticized receive a lot of attention in the media information and largely determine social discussion. But also in everyday life, in family and friends, as well as among co-workers, failures arise: there is often disagreement about how to deal with the risk of infection, how strict distance rules and mask requirements should be interpreted, what a blockade or help from Corona can generate billions. at ARD Germany trend On December 3, two-thirds of Germans (68 percent) expressed concern that social interaction would deteriorate.
In addition, there is the inconsistent crisis management of a driven policy, causing uncertainty and frustration: First, the federal and state governments announce a laboriously agreed partial lockdown since early November, combined with the argument that this is the only way to relax. during Christmas and New Years. From the beginning of December, one federal state after another will back off and cancel the easing. Shortly before Christmas, the republic faces a severe blockade with only a few days’ warning.
The following critics’ diagnoses are as inconsistent as the policy statements: too early, too late, too strict, too lax, too business-hostile, too business-friendly. Only one thing seems really certain these days: in hindsight, everyone knows better.
It is more than a virus
The pandemic year 2020 is marked by fundamental social questions: How strong is trust in other human beings, trust in state institutions, politics and science? How much solidarity is there when the crisis really requires it? These questions cannot yet be answered conclusively. But the protests, the myths of the conspiracy, a foreign minister who has to give inflammatory speeches for democracy and the demonstrable concern of the people for a deterioration of social coexistence make the intermediate balance at least sober.
In the first half of the new year, there are likely to be many decisive and trend-setting challenges. The growing number of infections must be stopped; otherwise, there is a risk of a breakdown in healthcare. Crown restraints must be chosen carefully; otherwise, there is the risk of more bankruptcies and existential fears. The distribution of vaccines must be organized fairly; otherwise, solidarity is at the end. But it is also important: everyone must respect democratic principles; otherwise, trust will be irretrievably lost.
Because in the end the stakes are high: it is not just the health of millions of people that is at risk. If it is possible to listen to each other, agree on a common factual basis, negotiate trustworthy rules democratically and accept them even if they are contrary to one’s will, all this will determine whether a free and peaceful coexistence is also possible in the future. is.
