Far away from the resentment about the tightened Corona resolutions, Angela Merkel made a particular question on Tuesday evening: Despite the "vaccination chaos" - the Chancellor rarely expressed herself so directly.
The
vaccination start in Germany
is initially slow.
Health Minister Jens Spahn
has to do this
to put up with harsh criticism.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is
now jumping into the rush for her party colleague.
Berlin - The decisions that
Angela Merkel announced
on Tuesday after the negotiations with the
Prime Minister
are uncomfortable
: In the fight against the
coronavirus pandemic, the
federal and state governments are tightening the permissible contacts on their own household and only one other person.
In addition, citizens from
Corona hotspots
should only
be allowed to move
within a
15 kilometer radius
of their place of residence.
Dissatisfaction is not only spreading among many citizens, but also in the opposition.
When the press conference was almost over on Tuesday evening, a journalist came up with a spicy question for the
Chancellor
.
At the turn of the year, one topic was of particular interest: The start of the
corona vaccinations
.
Four days after the
Biontech vaccine
was
approved,
vaccination began in Germany, mainly in old people's and nursing homes.
Since there are only limited doses available at first, the vaccination procedure is strictly prioritized according to groups.
Above all, the SPD quickly attacked
Health Minister Jens Spahn
,
because the few vaccine doses
in
Germany are
not getting ahead quickly enough.
While
SPD parliamentary
deputy
Dirk Wiese
demanded that the minister “must get the obvious problems under control immediately”,
Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
presented him with
a four-page catalog of questions.
Merkel reaction as “disempowerment” of Spahn?
The
CDU
is dismayed by the internal government dispute.
Nonetheless, the
Chancellor
reacted immediately to the “vaccination chaos”: In a working group under her leadership, Economics Minister
Peter Altmaier
(CDU), Finance Minister
Scholz
and the head of the Federal Chancellery,
Helge Braun
(CDU), are to work with
Spahn
to help to ramp up additional
vaccine production
in Germany as quickly as possible.
The media rated the Chancellor's move as
“disempowering” Spahn
, as the
Minister of Health
had previously dealt
largely solely with the subject of vaccination.
So the question was - “Does Mr.
Spahn
still
enjoy
your full
confidence
as Minister?
Or is the fact that they want to make vaccine procurement a top priority a proof of their distrust? ”- in the press conference, a nerve.
Although considered
Merkel
a moment and smiled at the seriousness of the question of time, but then responded with either "yes" or "no."
She pulled out a
lot
- and
decidedly
strengthened
Spahn's
back: "
Jens Spahn
does a great job all the days - in a wide variety of areas," said the Chancellor.
Video: New vaccination strategy without Spahn?
- Working group should decide on vaccination plan
"We are in constant and intensive exchange," said
Merkel
.
From the start, she
welcomed
Spahn's
commitment to team up with
France, Italy
and the
Netherlands
in order to
negotiate
with the
vaccine manufacturers
.
The step was discussed at the time in the Council of Health Ministers and all states showed interest.
It
was correct to place the
order in the responsibility of the
EU Commission
, as it not only provided a whole range of financial resources for it, but also a better basis for negotiations.
We deliberately chose a joint approach with our partners in the European Union.
We are convinced that this was and is the right way to go - statement on the # vaccination start in today's government press conference.
pic.twitter.com/AbIe1RwI9w
- Steffen Seibert (@RegSsprecher) January 4, 2021
"Without the help from the
nation
states, the Commission would not have been able to negotiate so well" - and vice versa, said Merkel, although the
EU Commission
can only negotiate what the member states want.
In the beginning there were different positions in the EU countries as to which
vaccines
should be ordered and which should be given priority.
In addition, it was not clear at the time which manufacturer would receive the initial approval.
At the time, Spahn also
secured the surplus quota of
vaccine doses for
Germany that
other countries would order but not accept.
"The process could so easily
Jens Spahn
not taken place," said Merkel, in that the put
trust issue
at all. "I can only be glad that the
Minister of Health
as is so active," which meant
Chancellor
further assume,
Spahn
yet in the
corona pandemic
tasks in various areas. Among other things, he not only takes care of the many legal questions, but is also in direct contact with the
vaccine manufacturers
.
The
Chancellor
apparently does not
want to
see the
fact that she has made vaccine procurement a
"top priority"
as an
act of disempowerment
.
(cos)