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SPIEGEL survey: majority in favor of a stronger role for parliaments in combating corona

2020-10-22T07:16:08.722Z


Parliamentarians feel left out in the Corona policy - across party lines they are demanding more say. This also meets with approval from the citizens, as a SPIEGEL survey shows.


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Bundestag session (archive photo): MPs rebel

Photo: 

Britta Pedersen / dpa

FDP leader Christian Lindner wants it, as does SPD chairwoman Saskia Esken.

The Green politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt, as well as MPs from the Left and the AfD: Seldom have parties across the political camps been as united as in the demand that parliaments should have more say in Corona policy.

So far, the federal and state governments have essentially designed the corona measures by ordinance.

"The German Bundestag has become an observer," said Lindner last week - the situation and the decisions are too serious for the parliaments to be ignored.

A survey by the opinion research institute Civey for SPIEGEL now shows: Lindner & Co. are not alone in the desire for more say and influence of parliaments in the corona crisis.

A majority of Germans would also like the parliaments to make more decisions on corona policy again.

62 percent of those surveyed clearly or somewhat agreed with the statement that the state parliaments and the Bundestag should be more involved in decisions about the corona measures.

There is unity across all political camps.

Supporters of the FDP have the highest approval: Almost 80 percent of them fully or somewhat agree with the statement that parliaments should be more involved in decisions on corona policy.

This proportion is lowest among sympathizers of the Union - but here, too, a good 50 percent of those questioned would like parliaments to have more influence.

There are hardly any differences between East and West.

Just under two thirds of those surveyed are in favor of greater parliamentary participation in corona issues.

Only around a quarter of those questioned in East and West reject this.

The debate about the influence of parliaments on pandemic politics has been simmering for a long time.

In the Bundestag, for example, the plans of Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) to extend special powers in combating the pandemic were recently criticized.

Spahn defended the regulations that they were based on "legal foundations" and that they were "not the result of arbitrariness or chance".

Schäuble calls for a more active role for the Bundestag

On Monday, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble presented the parliamentary groups with proposals for greater parliamentary participation.

He warned "that the Bundestag must make its role as legislator and public forum clear".

On Wednesday, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder also spoke of an improved exchange in his government statement.

In the future, he will offer a weekly ministerial question time in the Bavarian state parliament, said Söder in Munich.

Only questions about the pandemic should be discussed.

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mrc / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2020-10-22

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