NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet: Building a bridge to the Chancellor

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North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet: "If nothing happens, the numbers will increase significantly"

Photo: Lukas Schulze / Getty Images

Armin Laschet seems self-confident and determined when he announces his idea.

On Easter Monday he stands in front of the vaccination center in his hometown of Aachen.

"If nothing happens, the numbers will increase considerably," warns the CDU chief and Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In the background the hustle and bustle of the vaccination center can be seen on the holiday, the Prime Minister wears a vest under his jacket.

He has dressed warmly for his announcement.

This then follows: A "bridge lockdown" is needed.

Specifically: fewer private contacts, tests at schools and daycare centers.

More must be done when working from home in companies, restaurants and restaurants remain closed, and leisure activities must be shut down.

Bridge Lockdown?

Last but not least, did Laschet insist on opening openings for model projects in North Rhine-Westphalia as well?

In any case, there is no longer any talk of that on Easter Monday.

Laschet's appearance should be understood as an admission.

As a rhetorical trick to take the side of the Chancellor with a tough term.

It was eight days ago when Angela Merkel complained on the talk show "Anne Will" that the CDU boss was doing too little in his state against the increasing numbers of infections.

She even threatened that if necessary the federal government would force the states to give in.

Laschet announced that he wanted to think about the Easter days - which caused some ridicule on Twitter.

The proposal of the bridge lockdown is now his result, it should also be a bridge to the Chancellor.

With this, Laschet admits that the emergency brake decided by the federal states is not enough to break the third wave.

Rather, all federal states should now make one last effort in order to be able to loosen up again in May with enough vaccinated people.

This also includes Schleswig-Holstein, for example, where the numbers are still comparatively low.

Laschet emphasized that he was in agreement with many Prime Ministers, the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Minister of Health.

Bund-Länder conference this week?

However, the CDU chairman did not really go into the details of what the bridge lockdown should look like with his proposal.

How rigorously should the home office requirement be enforced?

Is it enough to test in schools and daycare centers, or does it have to be closed again?

According to his wishes, a conference of the Prime Ministers and the Chancellor should take place this week.

In personal presence instead of via video conference, because the heads of government recently complained about the ongoing puncture of the meetings.

Only then would it become clear what Laschet's advance means in practice.

The SPD immediately rejected the proposal: Berlin's governing mayor Michael Müller and chairman of the conference of prime ministers said to the ARD capital studio: "I think it is still very much unclear what Mr. Laschet means by this," the proposal raises many questions.

»A bridge lockdown for a transitional period and then with what measures?

And that should apply until many people are vaccinated.

What does it all mean? ”Said Müller.

He thinks that many of Laschet's deliberations are still ongoing.

He thinks it makes more sense to prepare the originally planned date on April 12th well: "I think that's more goal-oriented and makes more sense than planning hectic actions now without a new state of affairs."

SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach said he did not quite understand what exactly Laschet meant.

“The term bridge lockdown is a good one, it gets it right.

In concrete terms, we don't really need any major inventions anymore, ”Lauterbach told SPIEGEL.

All the instruments are there: exit restrictions after 8 p.m., systematic testing at schools, compulsory home office and testing for companies and a moratorium on attempts to relax.

Lauterbach is also pushing for the interval between the second vaccination for the mRNA vaccines from Biontech and Moderna to be extended from six to twelve weeks.

“This would allow more people to receive the primary vaccination faster, which saves lives.

The Prime Minister and the Chancellor should also come to an agreement about this quickly if there is an early conference. «Even the first vaccination has a good effect, and Lauterbach estimates the risk of severe courses to be extremely low, even with a somewhat later second vaccination.

»The current requests to speak are again patchwork and characterized by hectic rush«

Bodo Ramelow

There is criticism from the opposition.

"The debate is too important to be led with mere buzzwords like breakwater or bridge lockdown," says Marco Buschmann, parliamentary director of the FDP parliamentary group, the SPIEGEL.

»It is clear that curfews are usually disproportionate.

In addition, the regional model projects must not be abandoned prematurely.

Because we learn a lot from it about what helps and what doesn't help contain the virus. "

"It is irresponsible that the numbers have soared that so many are sick and the intensive care units are full," said Left Party leader Janine Wissler to SPIEGEL.

“Laschet was partying for days.

Whether his proposals are based on insight or because he lost the power struggle against the Chancellor is an open question.

With this crisis management one is definitely afraid and anxious. "

Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (also left) said: "As Prime Ministers we can meet at any time, but something has to be on the table beforehand, which we then really decide together and above all implement." He continues to urge on a step-by-step plan from the Chancellery.

Rather, one must finally get ahead with the vaccine procurement and the app.

"The current requests to speak are again patchwork and characterized by hectic rush," Thuringia's Prime Minister told SPIEGEL.

And in the CDU?

For the tug-of-war in the Union for the candidacy for chancellor, Laschet's insight is unlikely to meet with approval from everyone.

Although the conflict with Merkel had caused some irritation, there was also approval for his course.

Laschet can hardly make anyone right at the moment anyway.