The corona measures are hard, but seem inevitable. A German restaurateur sees it quite differently - and railing over "half-empty" hospitals.
- The corona virus * hits economies all over the world hard. In Germany too, countless companies need state aid - including prominent ones.
- Last but not least, “small” self-employed, freelancers and artists are also affected.
- We keep you up to date on developments in the economy of Europe and in the rest of the world.
Munich / Hamburg - Even if other shops are allowed to open soon: The coronavirus crisis hits the German economy extremely hard. Meanwhile, clearly noticeable displeasure is growing in some places. The German travel industry, meanwhile, remains skeptical about the coming summer.
German economy in the Corona crisis: "Panic caused by fear" - Gastronom weather against government
In the end, it was the limits of the Federal Government's economic easing that drove business representatives up the drain. The department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof even wants to sue against the upper limit of 800 square meters valid in Germany.
Other businesspeople have even more fundamental reservations - despite extensive help and short-time allowance *: Hamburg entrepreneur Eugen Block has now massively criticized the federal government for its corona policy. "The gentlemen have panicked fear," he told the news magazine Spiegel .
"I'm still waiting for the long-announced Corona Peak. The hospitals are still half empty, ”complained the 79-year-old founder and majority shareholder of the Block House restaurant chain . “With the costs incurred, Mr. Spahn could have doubled his intensive care departments. No, he has to lock the whole people away and turn life upside down. "
Coronavirus meets economy: “Block House” boss outraged - evil letters to ministers
Already in March he had sent letters to Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU), Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz (SPD), Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) and the Robert Koch Institute. "I have made it clear that the total cessation of public life will lead to economic decline." He had written to the finance minister how much he had already lost this year, Block said - and he would try to get the lost money back from the government .
Block said that he himself was not afraid of the corona virus , even though he was a risk group at the age of 79: “Don't start scaring too! Then I die three days earlier, so what? I have trust in God. Then I go to the loving God. ”Stephan von Bülow, Managing Director of the Block Group, sees the situation differently. "In this crisis, everyone has to make their contribution," he said in the mirror .
Economy feels the consequences of the Corona crisis: "Summer of travel will be different"
Meanwhile, one does not want to hope for a return to normal soon in the travel business . There it is assumed that summer holidays will initially only take place in Germany due to the coronavirus pandemic. "This summer of travel will certainly be different than in previous years," said the President of the German Travel Association, Norbert Fiebig, the Tagesspiegel .
A relaxation of travel restrictions will be gradual and wise - Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said on Friday. Vacation trips would initially only be possible in certain regions of Germany.
"Even in some European countries that have coped well with the corona pandemic, it will probably be possible in a second step to travel under certain precautions," Fiebig continued.
Corona virus and the travel industry: TUI expects to travel to Germany and Europe in the summer
Also TUI , Europe's largest tour operator, expected in the summer as the first travel within Germany and to European countries . "When which destinations can be traveled depends on the one hand on the decision of the federal government and on the other hand on the individual holiday countries," said a TUI spokeswoman for the newspaper. "As soon as a holiday country gives the green light, we are able to offer trips there."
Also
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder
(CSU) had recently referred to possible trips within Germany - Schleswig-Holstein is concerned
already with the plan of a gradual tourist opening
. On Friday, one initiated by Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) met with little approval
Debate about abandoning summer vacation
.
Meanwhile, the bookings for cruise travel in 2021 are already increasing strongly, as Merkur.de * reports.
dpa / AFP / fn
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
