The federal states at odds, the plans of Olaf Scholz "ineffective hodgepodge"? Politicians face corona problems. Last but not least, there is criticism of Markus Söder.
- The last week of May brought a break in German corona policy - the countries took the helm in the pandemic.
- A well-known medical doctor is concerned about the development. He wants to see Chancellor Angela Merkel again in charge.
- At the same time, the GroKo is arguing about the right economic aid. Söder and the SPD are particularly opposed to each other.
Update of June 2, 2020, 8:05 p.m .: Dealing with the corona crisis not only causes disputes between the prime ministers, it also polarizes people in Germany in a way rarely known - at least that's what North Rhine-Westphalia's prime minister Armin Laschet (CDU ). He warned of a split, more than during the refugee crisis . He received more letters and emails than ever in his political life before, said Laschet. "Some say: You send us to death. Others say: This is all madness with the measures and you are restricting our freedom. "
While many, thanks to relatively secure incomes, could "perhaps even benefit something from the decelerated life in Corona times", others would have to fear for their jobs, their income or even their existence, said the politician of the Augsburg man known for his business-friendly attitudes in the struggle for easing General.
Laschet, who is applying for the chairmanship of the CDU, sees a key task in developing a strategy for the preservation of Germany as an industrial country : “The topic of ecology will remain with us, but people will ask more about how we can economically get out of the crisis come out. "In addition, an alliance with the social partners must be forged," so that the social question is not forgotten. Otherwise the country will drift apart ”.
Update from June 1, 2020, 10:17 p.m .: Angela Merkel, Markus Söder, Olaf Scholz - some protagonists of the Corona crisis are again challenged on Tuesday: The Coalition Committee of GroKo wants to put together an economic stimulus package. There is already expert criticism in advance of a demand from Söder.
"The crisis shows ...": Söder's corona policy is polarizing - now he is pointing to Merkel's successor
Update dated 1 June 2020 17:05: For CSU chief Markus Söder it runs just fine. In the Corona crisis, the poll values for the Bavarian Prime Minister have skyrocketed. It is therefore not surprising that it is speculated whether Söder would also be able to be chancellor. At Pentecost, the 53-year-old, who repeatedly stressed that his place was in Bavaria, did not answer this question in an interview, but gave an important pointer.
When asked the world on Sunday whether Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) should continue given the currently good Union polls, Söder replied: “The Chancellor is leading our country through this crisis very well. She decides everything else for herself. ”Then he added with a view to the corona pandemic :“ The crisis shows who the Germans trust in difficult times. That is a high responsibility. "
Markus Söder scored points with his policy in the Corona crisis - but he also draws criticism.
© dpa / Sven Hoppe
Söder expects a decision on the K issue in the Union in early 2021 , which will always be resolved jointly by the sister parties. "The question of who will run as Chancellor candidate will probably not be decided until January," said the CSU chief. You have to wait for the election of the new CDU leader in December. "Who knows what will happen until then."
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet , the economic politician Friedrich Merz and the foreign politician Norbert Röttgen are applying for the CDU chairmanship - and thus indirectly the chancellor's candidacy . Like Söder, the head of the NRW government has the advantage of being able to profile himself as a crisis manager. Merz and Röttgen cannot do this.
Saar Prime Minister Tobias Hans does not expect any further applications for the party chair. After the election, "the chairmen of the CDU and CSU would talk about who would become chancellor candidate," said Hans the German Press Agency. Both CDU and CSU chairs are "natural aspirants to the chancellor candidacy".
The editor-in-chief of Munich's Merkur *, Georg Anastasiadis, sees further evidence of a possible candidacy for Söder in a recent comment.
Corona measures in Germany: Söder demands - SPD brakes
Update of May 31, 3:41 p.m .: The federal government wants to negotiate an economic package worth up to 80 billion euros on Tuesday - the issue is tax cuts, a family bonus , help for the ailing car industry and relief for the municipalities. The “whether” and “how” are still highly controversial for the last two points.
The SPD has since rejected a request for a car premium that Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) renewed in an interview - the two SPD leaders, Sören Bartol and Matthias Miersch, spoke in favor of "supporting the supply chains in the transformation process" out. Federal Finance Minister Scholz (SPD) cited restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, showmen, art and culture as examples of the goals of economic stimulus - he also thinks about climate protection and digitalization.
Those who benefit from government funds must actively overcome inequalities in their structures. Or as
Franziska Giffey says: Now break the macho structures in the economy! https://t.co/Iz9uR9auMO
Federal Minister of Family Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) , however, wants state aid to be linked to a family-friendly company policy - and, among other things, better equality of salaries for men and women. In connection with this, she had spoken of “macho structures”.
Meanwhile, the CDU can look forward to an increase in survey values - for the first time even a coalition with the FDP would be mathematically possible again.
Corona criticism of Söder - Left faction leader draws Schröder comparison
Update from May 30, 2:15 p.m .: According to the head of the World Medical Association, Ulrich Montgomery, the Bundestag-Left also criticizes the appearance of Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) in the corona crisis.
It was "a problem that the pandemic became relevant when the question of candidacy for the chancellor was discussed in the Union," parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch told the portal watson . “Not every action by the Prime Minister is geared towards combating the pandemic. Markus Söder in particular is obviously using the crisis to raise his profile, ”he criticized.
To the praise of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for the work of the Bavarian Prime Minister, Bartsch said: “Markus Söder obviously learned from Gerhard Schröder. He didn't really help the people at the time of the flooding on the Elbe either. But he helped himself by being photographed with rubber boots and a shovel in his hand. "
Bartsch let it be known that he is expressing his criticism very systematically. He also criticizes Söder publicly - he said. "Otherwise he will really become chancellor and I would like to prevent that."
Söder and Co. in the "beauty contest": doctor-boss wants Merkel back - and warns of Corona errors
Chancellor Angela Merkel gives the prime minister priority in the Corona crisis - an expert is concerned.
© AFP / TOBIAS BLACK
First announcement: Berlin - Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) officially left the field to the prime minister in corona politics a few days ago - but apparently not all observers trust the sovereigns to get a grip on the problem. However, the right measures are still being debated within the GroKo. A summit on the stimulus package threatens to split the SPD and the Union in advance .
Corona policy in Germany: doctor chief criticizes easing - and "beauty contest" of the countries
For example, the chair of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery , calls for more uniformity in the corona rules in Germany. "The federal government should again take over the management and crisis management," he told the Passauer Neue Presse on Saturday (article behind payment barrier). "We have to return to uniform rules and stop making different rules in each state."
"We need to loosen more slowly than is currently happening," Montgomery said. "The beauty contest of the prime ministers, who are now outbidding themselves with easing measures , is unfortunate." In this way, the public is given the impression that the pandemic is already over and everything is good again.
Merkel throws in the towel in corona crisis - "Prime Ministers are part of the problem, not the solution"
"By the end of March, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn had led the crisis through excellently. It wasn't until the prime ministers took over and the competition between Mr. Laschet * and Mr. Söder started that things got chaotic. ”
If there are no national guidelines, it will become confusing and dangerous, according to the CEO of the World Medical Association. "The prime ministers are more part of the problem and not the solution." In fact, there are obviously new easing plans in Söders Free State of Bavaria, as Merkur.de * reports.
Corona crisis: Controversy also in Merkel's GroKo - Scheuer is advancing with a proposal
Meanwhile, the coalition committee wants to tie down a billion-dollar stimulus package on Tuesday next week , which is supposed to get Germany's economy out of the Corona hole. But the focus is heavily fought over.
Transport minister Andreas Scheuer, who is badly hit by scandals, also wants to promote rail traffic, road construction and digital infrastructure, according to a media report. The CSU politician is proposing a 28 billion euro package "Investment future mobility", the newspapers of the Funke media group reported.
Corona measures: paper leaked from Ministry of Finance - FDP is "disappointed"
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr demanded a "big hit" from the federal government. This applies to relief as well as investments in education, digitization and infrastructure , Dürr told the German Press Agency.
An internal paper from the finance department called Dürr a bitter disappointment. This is about help for families, municipalities and the economy. A one-time bonus of EUR 300 per child is proposed for child benefit to relieve families and strengthen purchasing power. The proposals are a smorgasbord of ineffective individual measures that cost a lot of money, said the FDP politician.
As the Spiegel reported, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to propose a follow-up program for the 50 billion euro aid for small businesses and solo self-employed. In particular, the hospitality industry, travel agencies, event logistics and the trade fair industry should benefit from this. Private households should also be relieved of the EEG surcharge to promote green electricity.
Coronavirus: SPD warns of "anti-social Merz course" - internal ministry paper angered FDP
SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil warned the Union against trying to implement an "anti-social Merz course". "After weeks of working together, the differences to the Union are becoming clear again," said Klingbeil on Friday, Zeit Online . The first thing the Union can think of to stimulate the economy is to "cut the minimum wage and eliminate the solos for the super-rich too." "It will be tough negotiations until next week," he said.
Either way: Merkel announced on Saturday a package that focuses on innovation and sustainability. "Over the next week, we will adopt an economic stimulus package to help the economy regain its footing and grow," said the Chancellor. "The art will be to do that in such a way that we give innovation and sustainable management a boost at the same time, that we also become strong in future fields."
There was keen criticism from various sides about demands from the auto industry for a purchase premium for new cars - even CDU representatives warned of concessions to the “lobby”. Meanwhile, there are very real reasons for the very different positions of the prime ministers in East and West in the corona crisis - the experts have now explained.
dpa / fn
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.