Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister adopt new Corona measures: Then celebrate carefully

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Müller, Merkel, Söder at the press conference after the federal-state consultations in the Chancellery

Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock

It is not every day that the Chancellor looks around for help because she can't think of something.

But there are also special days, rather weeks and months, since the corona pandemic dominated Germany.

And then it can even happen to Angela Merkel, especially since after long discussions with the Prime Minister that she suddenly gets stuck.

Part of the required behavior, she says at the subsequent press conference, also for pupils to wear a mask, to keep their distance - and then it is bare.

"There's one thing I'm missing right now after all these hours," says Merkel.

To her right sits Berlin’s Prime Minister Michael Müller, currently chairman of the Ministerial Presidents Conference (MPK), and to her left is Vice-Chairman Markus Söder, Bavaria’s head of government.

One of them, it is not exactly understandable, now whispers to her: "Hygiene rules".

Yeah right, thank you!

And so Merkel can end her list - and finally announce at least a tiny bit of good news: Yes, the measures will be tightened again, but then at least from December 23, relaxed again so that the citizens can enjoy Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year a little could.

Merkel and the Prime Ministers had conferred around seven and a half hours beforehand.

This time everything should be better than 10 days ago.

As a reminder: The last meeting on Monday before last was somewhat chaotic and ended almost without result because a large part of the country leaders felt that the Chancellery had left them behind.

In contrast to what had been agreed the day before in the preparatory round between the heads of the state chancellery and the chancellery, the draft resolution from Merkel suddenly contained a number of tightenings, which were finally almost completely deleted in the round.

Merkel's somewhat snotty suggestion, according to which the federal states would be happy to take over the preparation themselves, was promptly implemented: in the past few days, the federal state side, under the leadership of the MPK presidency of Berlin, provided advice in several formats; Voted.

Was that really useful?

At any rate, even at the end of these deliberations, one is far from a "long-term concept" that Berlin Prime Minister Michael Müller had announced ten days ago for this round.

And after the country preparations, you sit together longer than a week and a half before.

This Wednesday is tough - including an approximately 15-minute break around 4 p.m.

The debate about an additional incidence warning value above the previously applicable 50 new infections per week per 100,000 inhabitants got so caught up in the debate that Merkel called for a break.

A novelty.

But that also shows how much the tireless Chancellor's strength is dwindling after eight months of pandemic and dozens of rounds of this kind.

And in this debate, too, things are pretty confused again: The fact that Merkel stubbornly rejects the proposal after a higher incidence level is upsetting even her closest country allies.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Söder, who is a permanent member of the Merkel team when it comes to Corona, is now speaking of a "federal own goal".

The Chancellor's concern that the federal states only wanted to use the additional value to soften the previously applicable compulsory measures from 50 new infections does not apply to Söder either.

"Then I'll say in the press conference that that's not enough for me"

After the consultation break, Merkel finally gives in, and additional measures are decided for hotspots with over 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

Everyone in the group agrees that the numbers are still far too high, and the goal of breaking the second corona wave has not yet been achieved.

The fact that vaccination can possibly start this year does not help much.

Bavaria's Prime Minister, like the Chancellor, would therefore have been in favor of further tightening in the last MPK.

"The death toll is currently as high as if an airplane crashed every day."

Even if the Chancellor does not repeat this picture - that's exactly how she sees it.

And this time, too, Merkel would like to implement more and tougher measures at one point or another, even if there is no more talk of this at the final press conference.

But the Chancellor says it openly around the world, for example during the school discussion.

Merkel is a little bit tired of it, however, and it obviously tires her to always have to be the driver.

Then you just take over the school proposal from the federal states, she says according to participants, "but then I'll say at the press conference that that's not enough for me."

This does not happen because a compromise is finally reached.

In essence, the round decides the following:

• Rules for

  Christmas

  : From December 23rd, meetings should be possible "with close family or friends" up to a maximum of ten people.

  Children up to 14 years of age should be exempt from this.

  The exemption should apply until January 1st.

• Private

  fireworks

  on New Year's Eve are not prohibited, but

  public fireworks

  and

  fireworks

  on busy streets and squares are.

  The federal and state governments also recommend that citizens do without the New Year's Eve fireworks this year.

• The federal states want to

  maintain classroom teaching in

  schools

  .

  A

  hybrid or change classes

  should in hotspots from the new limit of 200 infections per 100,000 population in seven days from the 8th grade possible - but not nationwide.

  Merkel had insisted on further steps in vain.

  Among others, MPK boss Müller and the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer insisted on their responsibility, according to participants.

  The majority of country leaders doubt that schools are an infection driver.

• Gastronomy, leisure and cultural facilities

  remain closed.

  State aid for companies, institutions and people affected by the partial shutdown is to be continued in December.

• For

  wholesalers and retailers, the group

  agreed on a graduated procedure: In the future, if there is more than 800 square meters of space, a maximum of one person per 20 square meters may be present.

  In smaller shops, a maximum of one person should be allowed to stay in every 10 square meters.

It can be doubted whether the resolutions actually help to break the second corona wave.

The concern is that because of the easing over Christmas and New Year's and New Year's, the number of infections will rise significantly again.

“The holidays must not turn into a setback again,” says Bavaria's Prime Minister Söder.

It could possibly help if the citizens take the New Year's Eve behavior of the CSU boss as an example and take to the street without being drunk.

He is always inside with his dogs at the turn of the year, says Söder.

“I don't know when I last detonated a missile.

So except politically. "

From a pandemic point of view, that would be harmless in any case.

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