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Angela Merkel and Markus Söder (in January 2021)
Photo: Filip Singer, Pool / dpa
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder has campaigned for more competencies in federal hands in the course of action against the corona virus.
He has always said: »I could have imagined that the federal government would have more powers over the Infection Protection Act, which also forces the federal states to have clear rules.
I'm very open to it, "said the CSU boss in the ARD" Tagesthemen ".
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) criticized Anne Will's implementation of the corona measures by the federal states, also on ARD.
She described the latest federal-state summit on how to deal with the pandemic as a "caesura".
It couldn't go on like this.
Some country leaders have the wrong thinking: "We know that the Chancellery is strict, then we can approach the matter a little more relaxed."
And then the Chancellor said what would probably also arrive as an unmistakable message in the countries.
The resolutions of the Corona emergency brake must be rigorously implemented - otherwise the federal government would have to intervene via the Infection Protection Act.
Söder also made his displeasure about the corona policy in other federal states clear.
He criticized the fact that in some federal states many of the measures that had already been decided were not being implemented.
Many did not apply the emergency brake that had been decided or would find it difficult to implement.
Clear measures instead of a patchwork quilt
He appealed to the other countries to introduce a night curfew - especially over the Easter holidays.
This is not legally enforceable nationwide, said Söder.
But: "If the Chancellor would take the initiative, an initiative at national level, change the law and make clear guidelines, she would have my support."
Söder rejected a new conference of prime ministers.
"There is no point in sitting down and lamenting at a new conference, for example, exchanging ideas and then doing what everyone thinks is right in the end."
If such a conference were to make sense, there had to be "a unified spirit."
"We now need less of a patchwork than a decisive decision," said Söder.
He was "for consistent and clear measures instead of constant back and forth."
jok / dpa