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The economy is reacting positively to the withdrawal of rest days at Easter and there is great respect for Merkel’s decision. Was the car summit decisive for your decision?
German companies and trade associations are relieved on the withdrawal of the so-called “days of rest” in Easter. At the same time, observers in political Berlin are discussing behind closed doors the great influence of Tuesday night’s automobile summit on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision.
Employers’ President Rainer Dulger praised Chancellor Angela Merkel’s (CDU) statement withdrawing the decision on the Easter break as a “courageous decision.” “There is no plan to handle this crisis,” Dulger said in Berlin on Wednesday. “I have much more respect for the fact that the chancellor has withdrawn the decision. The chancellor’s courageous decision proves her leadership.”
Anton Börner, president of the Federal Association for Wholesale Trade, Foreign Trade and Services made a similar statement. “Better a horror with an ending than the other way around,” he said. “It was brave to admit this wrong decision and correct it in a timely manner.”
The foreign trade association BGA and the Central Association of German Crafts are also provided. Its president, Peter Wollseifer, said in an initial reaction: “That is the right decision! The fact that the Chancellor made it so quickly and personally when she assumed responsibility deserves great respect.”
Legal hurdles of the idea underestimated
Earlier, Merkel and the heads of country had agreed on Wednesday morning in a short-term video link to withdraw the decision on an Easter recess in the crown pandemic, which was only taken Tuesday night. The heads of the federal and state governments had apparently underestimated the legal hurdles when making resolutions. Merkel then vacated in front of the press and in the Bundestag acknowledged his mistake and apologized to the public.
Merkel explained the process, among other things, with legal difficulties. The reason for this is that the “day of rest” would have required a legal adjustment at the level of the 16 federal states, since they are in charge of regulating public holidays in Germany.
However, in addition to legal issues, economic pressure may also have played a role. In response to the decision by the federal and state governments, numerous business associations opposed the idea of two short-term days off.
Was the automobile summit decisive?
On Tuesday, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among other things, pointed out numerous problems in a position paper that circulated in Berlin and is available for t-online. “Production companies are often networked and it is not possible to interrupt production in industry on such short notice,” he says. “Even construction site operators who have ordered their screed and it is being delivered cannot use it as planned, resulting in additional costs.”
Against this background, it is rumored more than loudly that the auto industry, which is important to Germany’s economy, could have thrown its weight in the balance: Tuesday evening, the heads of major manufacturers exchanged regularly with the Chancellor Merkel at the so-called auto summit.
As well as questions about the future of the industry, the short term, the planned Easter shutdown and its aftermath were also a problem. Had Merkel pushed her original idea of two Sunday days off, this would have had potentially serious consequences for production chains and the enforcement of supply contracts. “Sudden shutdowns are not feasible for an international network economy,” said the president of the German Automotive Industry Association, Hildegard Müller, on Tuesday after the summit.
Consequently, he spoke positively on Wednesday. “Admitting a mistake is a sign of greatness,” Müller said. “The federal government and prime ministers are in an extremely difficult position.” The country must now stand together and seek solutions, not mistakes in others.
