The emergency concept in the Corona crisis is becoming more and more striking: Now the heads of government can no longer even agree when they cannot agree.
The situation is dangerous.
The modern western world is sometimes still referred to in the social sciences as the “knowledge society”.
The catchphrase means: Insights and shared knowledge become the basis of social action.
The concept is a bit out of fashion, but has a certain charm.
It just doesn't seem to fit in with Germany's policy in the Corona crisis.
Here, with every week, a common saying from antiquity obviously applies a little more: "I know that I know nothing."
While the third wave of pandemics is raging through the country, even the last certainties are fading: the Chancellor and the heads of government can no longer even agree on which summit date they will not be able to agree on.
Instead, the Bundestag should take over at the last second.
It is painful that the word “preparation” once again plays a major role: empty phrases such as “bridge lockdown” are trumpeted across the country.
But what is meant by this - it remains unclear.
Corona summit canceled: “Preparation” remains in short supply - and Laschet's “bridge” ends in nowhere
In this respect, prime ministers who rejected Armin Laschet's early summit date definitely have arguments on their side.
But why it was apparently not even possible to work out, present and make a decision on concepts by April 12th, which has been set for weeks: It remains a mystery.
It is true that the “Easter calm” has left its deceptive traces in the corona statistics - a problem in itself.
But the prognoses of the virologists are actually crystal clear: The numbers will increase.
So the knowledge is there.
And time is of the essence.
Germany needs a plan that deals with this - one that does not completely overwork people's patience and the last economic reserves of many companies with a salami tactic of extending the lockdown.
Laschet's attempt to use new names for old ideas to distinguish himself as a corona penetrator is therefore particularly devastating.
Two to three weeks “bridge lockdown”?
“This bridge ends over water” - in other words, nothing - said SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans bitterly recently in the ZDF talk “Markus Lanz”.
So it's a dangerous promise.
Meanwhile, politicians are helplessly looking at their toolbox of curfews, contact restrictions and tests - and sometimes not even applying them consistently, from nationwide model tests to “Larifari” in the home office.
Corona lockdown in Germany: lack of plan could become a beacon - last hope Bundestag
Now politics really has to deliver.
The initiative from the Bundestag to take on more responsibility now may actually give a little hope.
It remains to be seen whether a Bundestag emergency brake will be sufficient - and whether more issues will have to be passed on to parliament.
The federal government, especially the CDU departments, are apparently not in a position to come up with concepts and think beyond the next month - but the parliamentary groups, including those of the Union, have a lot of know-how.
And even in the worst case, ideas, plans and criticism are publicly discussed and negotiated at least once.
It is not only to be hoped that Germany will emerge from the crisis halfway unscathed despite everything - and that a new mutation does not thwart the vaccination campaign and that the lack of ideas and lack of preparation for a continued pandemic finally become a beacon.
But also that “knowledge” remains: In politics, that a global world requires preparation and concepts and a mere Merkel-like reaction is no longer enough.
After all, even a lockdown law cannot hide this.
And with voters, how things are really going with the executives of large parts of the CDU top.
“We know that they don't want to know” should not remain the judgment of the actions of top politicians.
This applies not only to the lockdown, but also to the question of how to deal with the basic rights of vaccinated people, which is becoming virulent.
And for all kinds of misery outside of the daily focus - from climate change to dealing with crises on the edge of Europe.
Politics is in demand.
Florian Naumann
