Angela Merkel is reportedly considering changing the Infection Protection Act.
An initiative is now coming from circles in the Union.
Tensions rise before the next Corona summit on Monday: Chancellor Angela Merkel threatens to curtail the powers of the country leaders.
The Chancellor is apparently having a change to the Infection Protection Act examined
(see update from April 7th, 7:25 p.m.)
.
There is also an advance from the ranks of the Union faction
(see update from April 8, 2:45 p.m.)
.
Criticism comes from the federal states, including Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil
(see update from April 8, 4:20 p.m.)
.
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Update from April 8, 4:20 p.m .:
"I cannot currently see how more federal legal competences should lead to a better containment of the pandemic - and that is what it has to be about us all," said Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) on Thursday.
"In the meantime, the impression arises that the Union series should be closed through federal legislation."
In addition, according to the
German Press Agency
, Weil reiterated
his rejection of a hard lockdown.
“The last planned lockdown - the so-called Easter rest - was recalled by the Chancellor.
After that, we all agreed that this should not happen again, but that the federal-state talks must be better prepared - that is currently not apparent, ”said the SPD politician.
Update from April 8, 2:45 p.m.:
52 CDU / CSU MPs support the initiative from the ranks of the Union parliamentary group for more federal competencies.
The CDU member Norbert Röttgen, one of the initiators, told the daily newspaper
Welt
that the letter had been sent to the parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU) and the CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt.
According to Agence France-Press, the letter from the group led by Röttgen was addressed to around 100 MPs, the entire group was not written to.
48 MPs then did not report back.
A decided rejection came from a parliamentarian, another was "rather negative".
The initiative would like to authorize the federal government to issue statutory ordinances to enforce corona measures.
In addition to the state governments, the federal government would then also be authorized to impose corona restrictions.
The currently valid version of the Infection Protection Act provides that it is the task of the federal states to enact and enforce corona protective measures.
Malu Dreyer thinks nothing of Armin Laschet's “bridge lockdown” idea
Update from April 8th, 1:36 pm
: "We have clear joint appointments with the emergency brake", emphasizes the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer.
She would like this to be implemented nationwide, said the SPD politician in Mainz.
"At the moment we have all the instruments you need."
"In Rhineland-Palatinate, the application of the emergency brake means that we have regions that are below 50 that have open retail," said Dreyer.
In regions above a 7-day incidence of 100 there are stricter contact restrictions and exit restrictions, above an incidence of 200 the regulations are even stricter.
With a view to the planned Prime Minister's Conference (MPK) on April 12th, Dreyer said that a “template” was needed and criticized: “It is not about the fact that many people let the press announce what ideas there are in the country.
That just unsettles people unnecessarily. ”The country bosses would have to come to an understanding in advance:“ Not with ideas, but with a clear procedure, ”she said, referring to statements by her NRW counterpart Armin Laschet.
The subject of “bridge lockdown” was through from their point of view.
Corona crisis: Bartsch and Ramelow against Union push for more federal competencies
Update from April 8, 1:18 p.m
.: Rejection from the Left Party * for the advance of Merkel and Union politicians
(see update from April 7, 7:25 p.m.)
.
"Before the federal government changes the Infection Protection Act, it must first exhaust the existing options," said parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch of the
Augsburger Allgemeine
.
Thuringia's left-wing Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow was also skeptical: “You can build a step-by-step and framework plan on the current Infection Protection Act.
You don't even have to go the long way of changing the law and getting involved in the Federal Council, ”he told the
editorial network Germany (RND)
.
Bartsch criticized: "Changes to the law do not end the pandemic, but vaccination doses make the decisive contribution." In the fight against the pandemic, the federal government was "often part of the problem" and should first take care of increasing the vaccination rate *.
Röttgen on the Infection Protection Act initiative: "It's about the federal government being able to act"
Update from April 8, 11:51 a.m
.: The
AFP
news
agency
reports new details on the initiative of three Union MPs
(see update from April 7, 10:15 p.m.)
.
“In the end and in the long run” an “agreement on joint action was no longer possible”, criticize Norbert Röttgen, Johann Wadephul and Yvonne Magwas in a
letter available to
AFP
.
With him they advertise support from their group colleagues.
Fellow campaigners should report to Röttgen's office by Thursday noon.
Röttgen told the
picture
on Wednesday evening that so far around two dozen MPs had backed their initiative.
The written proposal also states that the Bundestag must "(additionally) give the Federal Government the same options for action as the Länder, namely to ensure the implementation of the national goals of the Infection Protection Act by means of a statutory ordinance".
In addition to the state governments, the federal government would then also be authorized to impose corona restrictions.
"It's not about weakening the countries," said Röttgen of the
picture
.
"The point is that the federal government can act at all."
Corona: Spahn for exit restrictions in regions with an incidence value over 100
Update from April 8, 11.30 a.m.:
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) also speaks out in favor of a tougher lockdown.
According to him, you can only get out of the pandemic with tests and vaccinations if the incidence numbers are lower.
He said that on Thursday in WDR5 “Morgenecho”.
Private contacts in particular would have to be further reduced.
In regions with a seven-day incidence of over 100, exit restrictions should come.
"Exit restrictions have one main goal: That not everyone meets privately in the evening, as difficult as it is," said Spahn.
"Private contacts in particular - not only, but also in the evening - lead to infections," he added.
The second important area are schools and daycare centers.
It is important "to test very consistently in schools at least twice a week," said the CDU politician.
"From my point of view, the Easter days could have been used well to bring schools and day-care centers to emergency care in the extension." In addition, even in companies where home office is not possible, "a test offer at least twice a week" must be made.
Only when the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants is stable below 100 within a week can individual areas - for example outdoor catering or retail - open with test support.
“Ideally” there should be a nationwide procedure.
"It is important that we first come to a unified understanding of the situation." Before, it had always been a problem, "that the federal and state governments agree on something, and a few days later it is no longer implemented across the country, but there are exceptions and other rules ”.
Merkel's power struggle with the country leaders threatens to escalate
Update from April 8th, 10:09 am
: "I don't see this exponential increase, which we had to fear,": Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) has spoken out against a tough nationwide lockdown in this phase of the corona pandemic.
The circumstances are not there, Weil said on Thursday in the ZDF morning magazine.
Although there were fewer tests over Easter and the currently lower number of cases are not necessarily meaningful, the Prime Minister sees a positive development.
“The situation in the hospitals in Lower Saxony is relaxed.
More and more parts of our country are growing out of the emergency brake.
And I have the impression that many people have changed their behavior. ”Weil wants to support this positive development and not burden families with too strict measures.
At the same time, Weil said in the interview that Lower Saxony would not, like Bavaria, pre-order the Russian corona vaccine Sputnik V.
"The fact that this is exactly what the colleague does who otherwise always demands emphatically uniform behavior in the fight against pandemics with pithy words speaks for itself."
Merkel and Union want to overthrow disagreed country leaders
Update from April 7th, 10:15 p.m.:
Not only Chancellor Angela Merkel is apparently working on a way out of the problems in the fight against corona: The federal government should be given significantly more options in fighting the corona pandemic - even if it is after an initiative the CDU / CSU parliamentary group goes.
The Union in the Bundestag is campaigning for a change to the Infection Protection Act, apparently independent of Merkel's plans (see update from 7:25 p.m.).
The Union politicians Norbert Röttgen, Johann Wadephul and Yvonne Magwas have sent a "joint initiative to amend the Infection Protection Act" to the MPs, as
reported by
bild.de.
The parliamentary group leader Ralf Brinkhaus (CDU) and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt should also support the initiative.
Merkel: More powers for the federal government?
"It's not about weakening the countries"
According to the report, the central point of the plan is an opportunity for the federal government to issue statutory ordinances in future to combat the corona pandemic and thus to introduce measures across Germany.
Until now, this was only possible at the state level.
“It's not about weakening the countries.
The point is that the federal government can act at all, ”explained Röttgen.
The initiative is justified primarily with the great disagreement at the Prime Minister's Conference, which made it difficult to combat the pandemic in a targeted manner.
The federal government also bears the "significant financial consequences" of the pandemic and must therefore be given expanded competencies in the fight against corona.
It is not yet known whether the initiative was started in response to the Chancellor.
Röttgen had already expressed a call for a Bundestag initiative on a talk show
Merkel bang: Chancellor is apparently serious - law instead of the next summit hanging party?
Update from April 7, 7:25 p.m.:
Is Angela Merkel taking action on the corona policy?
The Chancellor is apparently currently examining the possibility of bringing an amendment to the Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag to a vote - at least that's what
bild.de
reports
.
A changed law could stipulate uniform lockdown regulations for Germany.
The reason for the advance should be the fact that Merkel cannot make a majority among the prime ministers of the federal states.
The heads of state are scheduled to meet for another Corona summit on Monday.
However, a move by CDU leader Armin Laschet had above all brought to light disagreement.
However, the Chancellor cannot completely ignore the federal states, because the amendment to the Infection Protection Act would have to be ratified by the Federal Council after the Bundestag.
Merkel could, however, speculate that the pressure on the prime ministers will increase significantly and that the state leaders will be able to approve the draft law.
"Ms. Merkel is obviously threatening the countries"
It is not yet known exactly what the change in the law will look like.
Among other things, the change could include that a lockdown automatically takes effect when the incidence, R-value and other factors in a circle reach a certain value, as also reported by wa.de *.
Merkel had recently indicated this special route - an affront to the Prime Minister - in the TV talk "Anne Will".
The main winds against the report are coming from the Länder.
“Why simple when things can be complicated?” Replied Thuringia's head of state, Bodo Ramelow, in response to the Chancellor's plan.
"Mrs. Merkel threatens obviously the countries - and prepares their last resort before: a federal law," it says in an SPD-led State against
bild.de
.
Merkel and Laschet agree on lockdown: Söder threatens to burst the Monday summit
Update from April 7, 3:20 p.m.:
The next Corona summit should take place on Monday.
But now Bavaria's Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder is questioning the federal-state meeting.
The background to this is apparently that Söder does not consider an early summit to be feasible this week
(see first report)
.
Too much disagreement among the country leaders over the demand for a uniform approach, such as another hard lockdown, is apparently the reason.
When asked, Söder said that the summit scheduled for Monday may also come too early.
The CSU politician said after a meeting of the Bavarian cabinet in Munich.
“We have to define what will be decided at the next MPK,” said Söder.
Another important question is how vaccinations affect citizens' rights *.
The evaluation of the other corona numbers also speak against a meeting on Monday.
Merkel reacts to Laschet's initiative: Lockdown should come
First report from April 7th, 12.15 p.m .:
Berlin - A short, uniform lockdown.
This is what Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) demands, according to the Chancellor's spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer, on Wednesday at the federal press conference.
Angela Merkel speaks up through the spokeswoman: Short, uniform corona lockdown in Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out through her spokeswoman for another significant shutdown of public life in Germany.
The Chancellor indirectly supports Armin Laschet's proposal for a “bridge lockdown”.
When asked how Chancellor Merkel assesses Laschet's * demand, the deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer pointed out in Berlin that there is currently no good database for new corona infections, but the number of intensive care beds used speaks a very clear language.
“That is why every demand for a short, uniform lockdown is correct.
A common nationwide approach would also be important here, ”said Demmer.
She added: "The variety of the rules that have been adopted does not contribute to security and acceptance at the moment." For early consultations between the Prime Minister and the Federal Chancellor, as suggested by CDU boss Laschet, there is currently, according to her words, "clearly no majority." ".
Laschet's bridge lockdown: support from Merkel and Söder
Previously, CDU boss Armin Laschet * had brought a "bridge lockdown" into play.
In his assessment of the situation, he agreed with many country leaders, the Chancellor and Health Minister Jens Spahn, said the NRW Prime Minister on Monday.
“It's about two or three weeks,” he told the “ZDF morning magazine”.
Laschet's plan: Shut down the whole of Germany for a period of two to three weeks with tougher corona protective measures until the nationwide incidence falls below the target of 100.
On Wednesday, the Robert Koch Institute reported an incidence of 110.1, but pointed out that much data was not reported over the Easter days.
CSU boss Söder already supported the plans, but also stated that uniformity would be difficult because the SPD-led countries would oppose a uniform lockdown.
There is also no “great support” among the CDU-governed countries.
On Wednesday, the Bavarian Prime Minister Söder also stated that he did not believe in an early MPK.
Söder justified this with the different opinions of the federal states for a uniform approach.
(aka / dpa) * Merkur.de msl24.de and wa.de are offers from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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