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Christmas decorations in Chemnitz
Photo: Hendrik Schmidt / dpa
It was a busy weekend for the heads of state chancellery of the federal states: They join forces several times in different groups to discuss how to proceed in the corona pandemic.
On Monday, their bosses want to lash down the submission of the federal states for the consultations on Wednesday with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) - so that it does not turn out as conflict-prone as in the previous week.
It is already becoming apparent that an extension of the shutdown by two to three weeks is very likely.
At least federal and several state politicians see no other way, Christian Democrats as well as Social Democrats.
But the Christmas days and the turn of the year are already a topic.
"The fact is that we are not yet as far as we would have liked to have come through the contact restrictions," said Merkel on Sunday in Berlin after the two-day virtual G20 summit.
In many federal states a plateau of new infections had been reached, in a few countries the numbers went down significantly, in others they rose.
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) said on Sunday in Berlin that the development of the number of cases is not where you want to go.
"And that's why everyone suspects that there must be an extension."
Müller: "Not enough"
“We agree that a lot has been achieved, but not enough.
Although the exponential growth has been slowed down, the number of infections is still too high, "said Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller on Sunday of the German Press Agency.
"Against this background, it is currently inconceivable that we can now revoke the previously agreed measures," emphasized the chairman of the conference of prime ministers.
“How long we have to extend and how exactly we plan it is currently being discussed among ourselves.
We are on the right track, so that we will have drafted a resolution by Wednesday, which the federal and state governments will then discuss together again. "
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) told the “Bild am Sonntag”: “If we break the lockdown at this high level of infection numbers and lose patience, then everything starts all over again and we end up with even tougher measures than now in the Czech Republic or Austria. "And:" Better a longer lockdown than a complete exit restriction over Christmas. "
Without an extension, the restrictions would have to expire at the end of November.
How long they should last beyond that seems to be unclear.
"In any case two or better three weeks," says Söder.
That would be until shortly before Christmas.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) expects restrictions also over Christmas and New Year's Eve.
The
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
she said, Christmas and New Year should indeed be able to make their loved people.
But: "It is also clear that we have to limit contacts here too."
According to information from the newspaper, the SPD wants to enable meetings with "non-household" people; the upper limit could be ten people, children under 14 years of age are not included.
Dreyer said: “It will be possible to have a small group of people in the New Year, but big New Year's Eve parties or large crowds in popular places are definitely too big a risk.
We have to avoid that. "
Söder: "New Year's Eve more consistent again"
Previously, the head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, had said to the editorial network Germany (RND / Saturday): "I cannot imagine that my grandparents do not celebrate at Christmas."
Söder said Christmas should be "freer", "but New Year's Eve should be more consistent".
For New Year's Eve he would like a ban on firecrackers and alcohol in larger places.
"But there is no need for a general ban on firecrackers."
For Finance Minister Olaf Scholz it is also “clear” that financial support must also continue.
It would be "financially a challenge and complicated under European law" to replace 75 percent of the previous year's sales in December as well, as the "Bild am Sonntag" said.
But it is about securing livelihoods.
Söder also sees it this way: the aid must flow as long as the lockdown lasts.
"So there must also be 75 percent of sales in the same month last year in December," said the Bavarian Prime Minister, according to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung".
This should also apply to showmen and market merchants who normally have their stalls at Christmas markets in December.
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