The German border closings are causing open anger in Austria.
The state appoints Berlin's ambassador - a minister also railed against Markus Söder.
The corona-related border closings between Bavaria and Tyrol are causing upset.
In Austria there is talk of “chicane” - the next chapter in a long border dispute.
On Sunday evening (February 14th) Austria summoned the German ambassador.
Vienna / Berlin - border controls in the EU are already a political issue - and Austria apparently takes the federal government's latest corona measures particularly personally: the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz * (ÖVP) has now apparently called in the German ambassador.
In addition, there is reportedly a kind of crisis summit in Vienna in the evening.
Border dispute with Austria: Kurz's government laments "chicane" - and openly railed against Söder and Bavaria
The Austrian state of Tyrol has now been officially declared a "virus mutation area" by Germany.
This has had a noticeable impact on the border since Sunday.
Austria is now alarmed, as the
Tyrolean daily
reports online.
There was therefore talk of an “unacceptable chicane” in the neighboring country.
It is not the first time that the country has felt disadvantaged in the Corona crisis.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer from Kurz's ÖVP spoke of a "provocation", according to the Kronenzeitung.
He also attacked Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) personally.
The security of supply in large parts of Europe is in danger - that is "probably deliberately negated by the Bavarian Prime Minister".
Tyrol is "not the parking lot in Europe" but the most important north-south connection axis.
Corona in Bavaria: border controls cause trouble in Tyrol - foreign minister calls ambassadors
The foreign ministry headed by Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) has also summoned the ambassadors of Germany and Italy - and, according to their own statements, also lodged a protest with the ministers Heiko Maas (SPD) and Luigi di Maio.
The presumed background: The border formalities at the border crossing between Kiefersfelden and Tyrol on the A99 are particularly important for the Alpine republic.
The "German Corner" is the fastest route between Tyrol and the city of Salzburg.
But this transit route has now been greatly slowed down for the time being - and for many travelers is probably completely blocked: only Germans and foreigners with a residence and residence permit in Germany are allowed to enter the affected areas.
There are exceptions for medical staff, truck drivers and seasonal agricultural workers - but truck drivers are also required to test.
Bavaria wants to decide on further exceptions for systemically important professional groups by Tuesday.
Seehofer and Söder in focus: permanent border dispute with neighboring Austria - solution unlikely despite escalation
The newspaper now claims to have heard of a crisis summit in Vienna.
In addition to Schallenberg, Austria's Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (also ÖVP) is supposed to take part.
Nehammer has already contacted Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and his Bavarian counterpart Joachim Herrmann (both CSU) - without having reached a solution.
It is doubtful that it can be found quickly.
Seehofer and Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) have already resolutely defended the measures at the borders against criticism from the EU.
"We have to give our districts in the border region the opportunity to come to rest," said Spahn in an interview with the
Süddeutsche Zeitung that was
only published on Sunday evening
.
The measures are also being criticized by the German economy.
Austria should not be appeased by this.
The country expects severe traffic delays.
In the past, however, Germany had repeatedly run a storm against these - largely unsuccessfully.
Especially on the border between Upper Bavaria and Tyrol, block handling and the like are always a hot topic when entering Austria.
In the dispute about skiing holidays, the thesis that Germany and Austria saw the opportunity for a return coach * was also circulating.
You can find
an overview of the
new rules for crossing the border in this article at
Merkur.de
*.
(
fn
) *
Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network
.