Corona defeat: Merkel now powerless? Söder makes astonishing demands - an expert warns

Corona chaos in Germany: The countries are impatient - the Chancellor is apparently giving up. But shortly afterwards the complaint is big. An analysis.

• On the way out of the corona lockdown *, the federal states become "impatient" - a new agreement is already punctiform. 
• Chancellor Angela Merkel no longer wants to get involved. Even the prime ministers no longer speak to each other for the time being.
• An expert warns of "speechlessness" in the Corona crisis - unusual things can also be heard from Munich.

Berlin / Munich - There were times when Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was nicknamed "Mutti" by parts of the German public. Sometimes with some respect, often disrespectful. This habit has quieted down over the past few years - but just now, right in the middle of the Corona crisis , you might feel reminded of this (un) word again.

It became apparent on Tuesday that the heads of government of the Federal Republic and the prime ministers can no longer agree on corona measures . And that Merkel no longer wants to try to bring a line into state and local politics on this crucial question. 

It was read that Merkel "does not want to do anything to the conflict that has been escalating for months." A sentence that could escape escaped parents in the corona lockdown . Another remarkable one came over Markus Söder on Tuesday - Bavaria's prime minister called for leadership from the headquarters ...

Merkel in focus: Corona conferences are history - Kretschmann announces amazing news

One thing is clear: the obviously troubled situation could have greater effects than a possible relapse into old language habits. The pandemic - all the protagonists emphasize this, up to the Thuringian country chief Bodo Ramelow, who is particularly keen to relax - is far from over. But there will no longer be a common approach anytime soon.

According to Baden-Württemberg's Green Party Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann  , the further course of action is now the sole responsibility of the federal states and their districts. "No further conferences are planned, neither by the Chancellor nor by Söder," he said on Tuesday afternoon with a view of Merkel and  Söder (CSU).

Also read:  "If the Chancellor had called me ..." - Schröder knew one thing better in the Corona crisis *

Corona dispute in Germany: Söder shows consternation - information passed on directly?

Even the prime ministers no longer want to confer with each other. Söder, as the acting head of the prime ministerial conference, does not consider such a round to be sensible: At the moment, it has not even been possible to reach agreement on the level of the state chancellor's chiefs about the further anti-corona struggle, he said.

The CSU boss also sees a “ race” of the federal states as the reason for the problems - which has what it takes to damage citizens' trust in politics. Söder also criticized indiscretions among the federal states on Tuesday. In the meantime, information from the group of heads of state chancelleries from current meetings has already been passed on to the media.

Corona: Political scientist doubts Merkel's course - "no longer works controlled"

Complaints about the situation, but also criticism were not long in coming. Almost simultaneously with Kretschmann's announcement, political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte answered the ZDF “Mittagsmagazin”. "As good as it sounds to take regional diversity into account in order to be able to act accordingly, one can say that there is no central announcement here," he judged.

Korte also criticized “strategic speechlessness”. "Which direction do we give the rescue?", He asked, "that is actually what could be given by the federal government". In the current situation, the actions of the federal government - and thus ultimately the chancellor - are not only "speechless", "but also no longer controlled". At the same time, the political scientist showed understanding for Merkel : "It is very difficult to moderate impatience."

Corona-Zoff: After Merkel's withdrawal - Söder makes an extremely unusual demand

Even the “convinced federalist” Söder already seemed to miss a guideline from Berlin on Tuesday . "Honestly, I think it would be better if the federal government had more binding legal normative force than is now the case," said Söder after a cabinet meeting . At this point, stronger federal leadership would be "very helpful" - morally, but also legally, the CSU chief emphasized. Who once again presented his very own plans.

And the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach , who is more known for the pure infection process , was also unhappy with the development. It was unwise to “turn off the federal government in dealing with the pandemic. We are leaving the path to which we owe our success ”. When it comes to apps, school openings, masks * and distance rules, "a good solution for everyone, scientifically justified" is correct. Meanwhile, Lauterbach himself saw that the debate was in danger of escalating - in the form of a threat.

It is unwise to turn off the federal government in dealing with the pandemic. We are leaving the path to which we owe our success. Distances, masks, app usage, school concepts: everything applies: a good solution for everyone, scientifically justified, would be correct https://t.co/NeshLCZvby

In Lower Saxony, the branch of a parcel service provider has meanwhile become a corona hotspot.

Corona: country chaos about measures? Ramelow sees things differently

But it seems that the Prime Ministers in their "impatience" now have to get by without leadership from the Chancellor's Office - or "maternal" leadership. It remains to be seen whether an already hinted patchwork of the corona measures “only” creates confusion among the population or will even destroy successes in combating the pandemic.

However, you can also take a completely different perspective - like Bodo Ramelow. The Thuringian Prime Minister also sees protection against infection as a personal task for every citizen - " no state government or police help me, " said Ramelow. Söder emphasized that the task, whoever is responsible for it, is a big one: "Corona remains deadly," he said.

Virologist Hendrik Streeck speaks in an interview about the risk of a second wave of infection and expects weeks of relaxation.

Markus Söder responds with an extreme answer to the question of the end of the mask requirement.

A study comes to the conclusion that the corona hotspot Ischgl has an immense influence on the virus spread in Germany.

fn (with material from dpa and AFP)

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Markus Schreiber