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BERLIN – Many consider it the Lombardy of Germany, and the image It has stained the most contagious areas purple, to indicate an incidence so serious that it exceeds red. Saxony is now a case: patients transferred to other lands, hospitals on the brink of collapse. And in one country, Germany, which is dangerously against the current compared to the rest of Europe. Infections keep increasing. And the governor of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, warns that “the ten most difficult weeks are yet to come.” As for Angela Merkel and the frequent clashes with the governors, the CDU politician defines it as “a stone in the storm”, but managing a region with a quarter of the Afd’s far-right voters, also explains why caution is essential when think of restrictions.
Kretschmer, you argue that “the toughest ten weeks are yet to come” for Germany.
“It is not summer anymore. The virus is very virulent now and infections will continue to accelerate, we are already noticing. It will be the most difficult weeks to come. We have to be disciplined. If we are not, blocking is the only possibility. ”
Two weeks ago, the governors agreed to a more severe blockade with Chancellor Merkel. Too late, given the exponential rise of the virus?
“In Saxony we already decided a week before. When they still told me that the situation was not so bad. The mandatory rules came when we realized that our attempt to raise awareness had failed. And we must protect the entire population. “
But Angela Merkel had been insisting since late October on tougher measures. Was she right and you wrong?
“No. We live in a democracy and the most measured restrictions must always be applied. Because otherwise you will fail first and foremost before the courts. Who canceled the ban on staying overnight in hotels in October. In addition, we must always try to convince citizens. Has succeeded do it with almost everyone, but not with everyone. And now the decision to stop public life has become inevitable. ”
How was the dialectic between you governors and the chancellor? How do you judge Merkel?
“The Chancellor was a stone in the storm. And this country can be happy that you are there. But federalism is important because the situation is very different, now or in the spring, and between one country and another. It is always important that the measures are appropriate to the situation experienced ”.
How is the situation in Saxony? The infections are very high, he is forced to transfer the patients to another place; in the first wave, on the contrary, it also received them from Italy. And we are talking about triage cases.
“There have been no cases of triage. But the health system is under extreme pressure. But there is solidarity from other lands and neighboring countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic. In the spring we receive patients from Bergamo and southern Italy, and now help is coming from Europe. And we must all come out of this crisis together, like Europe. But in Saxony we also have cases of hospitals that have already reached their limits and two streets beyond minimizing people. It is one of the problems. The situation is much worse than in spring, but many citizens think that it is less threatening ”.
Why?
“Because there is a certain fatigue. We have been saying for ten months that the situation is serious. During the summer it got better, but now it got a lot worse. And until Easter will be difficult months ”.
In his region, the Afd is voted by one in four people and there are many deniers. Is it harder for you to decide on restrictions than for your peers?
“It is true that there are many deniers, but the vast majority of people have a realistic perception of the situation and follow the restrictions. Obviously, the success of the fight against the virus depends a lot on the attitude of the citizens. And if they are convinced that the virus does not exist and that the measures only serve to subjugate the population – a seventh of Germans believe it – it is clear that this does not help. Because they don’t follow the rules, compromising their effect ”.
How much do skeptics influence you when dealing with the government?
“I always try to trust the citizens’ sense of responsibility, to set them free. But when I understand that it does not work, that I cannot protect the majority of citizens, I feel obliged to assert the authority of the State at all other levels ”.
When to start vaccinating citizens in Saxony?
“Today, and let’s start with nursing homes, because that’s where the greatest need and danger is.”
