Federal government and states together – this is a maxim of the corona policy in Germany. Specifically, that means so far: Angela Merkel meets with the leaders of the 16 federal states. Together they discuss – in the end always by video conference – a measure paper prepared by the Chancellery and make more or less identical ordinances out of the measures.
It has always not worked very smoothly and led to sometimes very different results across Germany: DIY stores open or close, schools open or not. But now the ideas seem to diverge even more.
Sunday evening: Angela Merkel at “Anne Will”
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Sunday evening, best slot: The Chancellor threatens some federal states in a long TV interview on the program “Anne Will”. If they continue to fail to strictly implement the agreed measures, they could also restrict their independence. Means: The federal government would decide.
The federal government could intervene more strongly
Merkel named the adaptation of the Infection Protection Act as a possibility for this. So far, it has not been regulated there which specific measures – for example a curfew – are to be implemented in the event of certain numbers of infections.
However, that could not be changed quickly, since the Bundestag and Bundesrat, as the regional chamber, would also have to agree. So far, politicians have not wanted to make the law too rigid to be able to respond to the pandemic in the short term. On the other hand, there is a lot of criticism from the Bundestag that parliamentarians are not involved enough in the current process.
According to the Basic Law, there is a second option. “Measures against publicly dangerous and communicable diseases” could also be decided by the federal government. Here, too, the Federal Council would have to be involved because, for example, the school issues that are so important in the pandemic are a matter for the federal states.
Laschet defends himself
Monday lunchtime in Berlin: surprisingly, CDU boss Armin Laschet, a possible successor to Merkel as Chancellor, gave a small press conference in the party headquarters after a meeting of the party presidium. Actually, it should just be a statement. But then four journalists are allowed in and ask questions.
Armin Laschet defends the course of some federal states criticized by Merkel
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Laschet is also Prime Minister in North Rhine-Westphalia and may have felt addressed by Merkel’s criticism. He counterattacked. His federal state adheres to the agreed measures. Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, also ruled by the CDU, would do their “homework”. Should the situation become more dramatic, then he was open “to any suggestion as to what can be done even better”. But he doesn’t know of any other suggestions.
There are currently many attempts in Germany to use tests to restore normal life, for example when shopping or in restaurants. In Saarland, fitness studios and cinemas are even supposed to open again for testing purposes after Easter, although the number of infections is increasing.
Merkel has always been skeptical about the relaxation and model projects. Before the last federal-state meeting, she had even proposed a tough Easter lockdown in order to break the third wave of infections that was beginning. In the TV interview, she reiterated her skeptical stance.
Create more incentives for self-tests
Laschet defended a more liberal corona policy with the argument that people should also be brought to be tested. What good is 6,000 test centers like in his state if people had no reason to go. Laschet believes that shopping and eating out are good reasons. In this way, more infected people could ultimately be tracked down and chains of infection broken.
He is not the only one who disagrees with Merkel’s criticism. From Thuringia it was said that the federal government itself was not doing enough. Brandenburg said that everything was being implemented – including the agreed emergency brake. This states that if the incidence is above 100, any loosening of the lockdown can be traced back.
Saarland’s Prime Minister Tobias Hans: After Easter, things should be relaxed
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According to the Saarland, it is not an experiment that accepts infections, but on the contrary a model for the detection of infections. The opening plan after Easter will be adhered to. But there will be an exit if the occupancy figures in the hospitals become too high again.
From North Rhine-Westphalia it was said that in view of the shortcomings in the procurement of vaccines, the federal government should concentrate on its own failures. In an international comparison, Germany is only in the midfield in terms of the number of vaccinations that have taken place so far.
There are general elections in six months
Markus Söder from Bavaria, Laschet’s competitor for the candidacy for chancellor, spoke out against handing over more power to the federal government and forcing the federal states to adopt clearer rules. Saxony, Bremen and Hamburg also supported Merkel’s line. The Greens and the Federal Minister of the Interior also spoke out in favor of changes to the law.
The Greens, currently in the polls high, repeated their proposal to set up a permanently meeting Corona crisis team.
Video conference federal / state – but not a good way to negotiate?
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Laschet spoke out in favor of holding face-to-face meetings in the Chancellery again. After all, people in the Bundestag and Bundesrat also meet in person. What Merkel had renounced, however, analogous to the lockdown and the requirement of contact reduction. The next federal-state round takes place regularly on April 12th.
Merkel’s coalition partner, the SPD, criticized the discussion: “We don’t have time in this country for the chaos in the CDU / CSU.” Instead, it has to be about vaccinating faster, testing more and getting out of lockdown. “
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