Interior ministers discuss lessons from the corona crisis

In mid-June, the heads of the interior departments of the federal states and the federal government meet in Erfurt for their spring conference. The ministers also want to share their experiences in the corona crisis - and learn from them.

Erfurt (dpa) - The interior ministers of the federal states and the federal government want to learn from the experience of the corona crisis and take precautions for a possible second wave of infections.

This was announced by the head of the Conference of Interior Ministers, Thuringia's head of department Georg Maier (SPD), in an interview with the German Press Agency. "You have to expect that there will be a flare up again in autumn because, for example, you'll be in closed rooms more often."

Therefore one has to see whether there are enough national reserves "with regard to elementary, system-critical supplies". For example, protective clothing is meant, but also medical products and medication. "I think we now have time to replenish the resources we need."

The interior ministers of the federal states and the federal government meet in Erfurt from June 17 to 19 to discuss issues such as internal security, migration issues and the fight against right-wing extremism. This year, the chairman is Thuringia, where Maier is head of the internal department.

The 53-year-old said each state would report on its experience of the pandemic at the meeting. "I think we have a lot to learn from it." The question is also whether the crisis teams worked well. You also have to think about whether there is enough production capacity in Germany - "for very important supply items, clothing items or even medication."

In the meantime, bottlenecks have occurred, especially with protective equipment. "The supply is still not as abundant as would be necessary to cover all eventualities."

According to Maier, the conference will also talk about the demonstrations against the anti-corona measures, increasingly circulating conspiracy theories and the infiltration of these demos by right-wing extremists. "I think it's important to just speak about it preventively," said Maier. Simply dismissing conspiracy theories with a smile is not enough. "It is important that there is a social discussion." Political education also plays a role.