Do German corona rules continue to separate couples unnecessarily? Emotional calls for help can be read on social networks - the opposition blames Horst Seehofer.
- The corona pandemic calls for many restrictions in everyday life.
- However, many binational couples are still badly hit - some partners are still unable to travel to Germany.
- The attitude of Minister Horst Seehofer provokes a lot of criticism. Even the FDP and the left are working together on the issue.
Berlin - Politics in the Corona crisis is walking a tightrope between a wide variety of needs - that was experienced on Thursday at the federal-state meeting. This is felt in the form of stubborn criticism, but also a head of department from Angela Merkel's cabinet : For months, Horst Seehofer (CSU) has enraged countless couples whose love extends beyond the borders of the EU.
Without a marriage certificate , “binational couples”, the most commonly used phrase, initially couldn't see each other for months due to the corona-related border closings . Since August 10th, meetings have been possible again in principle - but only under conditions that those affected and critics as unworldly or discriminatoryconsider. You see the couples partly in a difficult to fulfill "burden of proof".
Corona rules for couples: Horst Seehofer Ministry "has not arrived in the 21st century"?
A circumstance that Seehofer's house is constantly reported in the social networks under the hashtag “#loveisnottourism” . Most recently, given the demand by the Minister of Sport and Interior for spectators in football stadiums . In the meantime, unusual alliances are being established in the Bundestag . They range from the FDP to the left . Parliamentarians have now again made demands on the Ippen-Digital central editorial office - and raised allegations against the CSU politician.
Okay, so football with crowded spectators in the stadium should be safe, right? But two lovers who are voluntarily quarantined are the pandemic apocalypse, do I understand you correctly, Mr. Seehofer? @BMI_Bund @BMISsprecher really? #LoveIsNotTourism
- Eva Foraita (@word designer) August 27, 2020The easing would bring relief to many couples, said the Left MP Stefan Liebich on request. Nevertheless, improvements urgently need to be made. The main focus is on the evidence required by the ministry of at least one joint meeting in Germany . Alternatively, proof of a previous joint residence abroad can be provided.
"This shows that Mr. Seehofer's ministry has not yet arrived in the globalized world of the 21st century with all its relationship models," said Liebich angrily - and added: "Seehofer can remove the discriminatory restrictions immediately. He refuses so far. "
Seehofer criticized for Corona rule: Opposition angry about "burden of proof for love"
He is completely in agreement on this point with an FDP politician, of all people. "I continue to sense an increased level of mistrust in the federal government, especially in the interior minister, when it comes to substantiating the relationship status," said Otto Fricke, Member of the Bundestag, of the Ippen-Digital central editorial office . "The question of whether I am a couple in our modern world may not depend on where I lived as a couple."
Fricke also called for further improvements : "It should be much more clearly defined how couples can make believable - and don't have to prove - that they are in a committed relationship. ”It could not be“ that the burden of proof for love lies with the couple, ”he emphasized.
In fact, with the announcement of the relaxation by the Ministry of the Interior, hundreds of meaningful user inquiries had already accumulated in the social networks. Desperate people asked themselves, for example, whether joint photos in major German cities were sufficient evidence - or what to do if the partner had entered Germany via a nearby airport in a neighboring country.
The following must be presented:
➡️ an invitation from the person residing in Germany
➡️ a jointly signed declaration on the existence of the relationship
➡️ proof of previous meetings with passport stamps, travel documents or flight tickets
"Love is not tourism": Resistance unites the FDP and the Left - "That's how politics should be"
Liebich and Fricke find it rather gratifying that the alliance against the stipulations of the Interior Ministry actually includes parties with liberals and leftists * who are not exactly inclined to one another.
"In the last few weeks there has been a lot of cross-party cooperation in this area, especially among the democratic opposition factions," explained Liebich. He also referred to the participation of the SPD and the Greens in initiatives - and explicitly to the work of the FDP MEP Moritz Körner . Fricke emphasized: “Not only when it comes to love, I always work with democratic forces on the matter - regardless of the party. That's the way politics should be. "
Coronavirus: couples as a risk of infection? FDP sees "very simple" solution
Incidentally, Fricke does not see the pandemic protection at risk from a cross-border merger. It was "very easy" to manufacture, explained the Liberal: "With clear test obligations and corresponding quarantine regulations, as they also apply to married couples."
Liebich's assessment of the situation is very similar. "Unlike many tourists, all those affected with whom I have spoken so far are willing to be tested and to follow all quarantine regulations of the target federal states." For him, it is a political sign at the expense of the affected couples: "The restrictions at the current situation have nothing to do with infection control, as the Ministry of the Interior also confirmed on request; It's a purely political decision. ”
However, there are also supporters of the regulation: AfD parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel had already sharply criticized the easing in mid-August. She spoke of a “free ticket” for unregulated immigration. "With such ridiculous hurdles, it is only logical that the door to social abuse should be opened again."
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers launched a series of new regulations on Thursday. Merkel also admitted at her annual summer press conference that there are "hardships" for many groups in the pandemic. ( fn ) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network .
