Lindner in need of corona: public hug without a mask - with explosive personality

Politicians are vehemently calling on citizens to comply with the corona rules. With FDP boss Lindner himself it doesn't always work - he makes a mistake. On several levels.

• According to experts, dealing with the corona loosening remains a tightrope walk.
• Citizens in particular are now called upon to take personal responsibility and keep their distance *.
• FDP boss Christian Lindner failed in this task after visiting a restaurant - several times.
• Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. We also offer you the current number of cases in Germany on a map. *

Berlin / Munich - The corona crisis means a lot of human suffering in Germany too - especially for the risk groups in old people's homes, in hospitals; also for people who can’t do their job now. All those who are not in such acute danger themselves are currently required to exercise discipline and solidarity: keep your mask on, keep your distance, possibly staying a little more often at home. Despite loosening.

That everything does not always work, it shows in the subway, with rising temperatures also on the streets - and in the most exposed places. On the Bundesliga lawn, for example. But also in politics. Whether one considers situations from “mask off, close contact and in the middle of the fray” as deeply human emotion or negligent thoughtlessness, remains a subjective decision.

Christian Lindner: FDP chief gives a hug without a mask - of all things for the Belarusian honorary consul

Either way, a case from the heart of political Berlin is spicy. FDP boss Christian Lindner was photographed in Berlin-Mitte, at the Borchardt celebrity restaurant , on Friday (May 14) . Not a problem in itself, since that day cafés and restaurants in the capital have literally been allowed to open their doors again.

But the circumstances are tough. Because on the snapshot circulating on Twitter, Lindner can be seen without a mask and in a tight hug - according to a report by the Berlin BZ , of all things with Steffen Göpel , the honorary consul of Belarus . In other words, a representative of that country, whose dictatorial President Alexander Lukashenko denied the existence of the corona virus in his sphere of influence in a somewhat curious way.

How should Christian #Lindner know how much distance he still has to keep without the # Corona app ??? pic.twitter.com/Coe5yWAH7l

At the same time, the reopening evening in Borchardt was indisputably ended by the police . The owner confirmed to the BZ that the restaurant exceeded the permitted opening time by at least ten minutes. The police themselves reported, somewhat more explosively, about an operation because of a crowded restaurant in the French street, in which the restaurant is also located.

Corona virus: Linder disregards corona rules - "I'm sorry!"

In the weeks before, Lindner had repeatedly criticized the lax and obviously negligent handling of mouthguard and distance rules . With a view to the much-discussed Facebook video by professional footballer Salomon Kalou from Berlin, Lindner called for a severe punishment for "individual misconduct" such that "it even hurts football millionaires". 

It is not known whether Lindner advocates painful measures against himself. In any case, he has admitted individual misconduct . "The spontaneous hug at the farewell on Friday was a mistake, as it happens among friends after a private evening," he tweeted on Monday - almost four days after the incident and after the BZ report appeared. It was not a matter of intent, but of lack of concentration. 

I just said to @derspiegel: The spontaneous hug at the farewell on Friday was a mistake, as it unfortunately happens among friends after a private evening. That was not a resolution, but a lack of concentration. In the end you stay human. I'm sorry! CL

At the same time, the FDP leader claimed for himself the deeply human interpretation of his misstep. “In the end you stay human. I'm sorry!"

Corona virus in Germany: Linder after corona misstep in the middle of the debate

In the short message service , of course, there was still criticism. The hashtag "#Lindner" became the top trend on Twitter. Theories and theses of various stripes were also read. "People go to Borchardt to be seen," one user put in a rather serious accusation in comparatively harmless words. 

Opponents of the corona protection rules wanted to jump in Lindner. "There is no reason to apologize," posted one of Lindner's tweet. “We should all hug our friends again when we feel like it.” Lindner social media team tried to slow down these supporters: “No, that's wrong,” it made it clear. "In times of Corona, we should all keep our distance ."

However, even political competition pushed for a return to day-to-day business. Green Vice-President Jamila Schäfer, for example, remarked that Lindner had apologized for his mistake - "can we please deal with the FDP again? Thank you. ” SPD counterpart Kevin Kühnert even found praise for Lindner. Anyone who does not “want to be represented by political machines” has to accept mistakes - Lindner has shown how to handle them with confidence.

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