Aiwanger speaks of "skirmishes" with Söder - who counters with a meaningful gesture

In addition to the new resolutions of the Bavarian cabinet, the observers' attention also turned to the simmering conflict between the coalition partners.

Munich - The fact that the coalition partners CSU * and Free Voters are not always green is nothing new.

But at the latest after the verbal attacks between Prime Minister Markus Söder * and his Vice Hubert Aiwanger, the dispute reached a new level.

The reason was the economics minister's refusal to be vaccinated.

At the press conference for the last cabinet meeting before the summer break, however, there was not much of a dispute left - at first.

Controversial topic between Söder and Aiwanger: The opening of the bars and pubs

One topic of the most recent cabinet meeting was the decision of the Bavarian Administrative Court that pubs are allowed to reopen. Keeping bars and pubs closed was disproportionate, so the reasoning of the court. However, Söder said in the run-up to the meeting that he does not approve of unrestricted opening. He called for certain regulations such as a curfew or a link to incidence values.

For the economics minister, restrictions were not even in the bag.

It was "high time" that bars and pubs were allowed to go back to business after the long lockdown, he said.

The tried and tested concepts from last year would be completely sufficient.

So there is potential for conflict for the cabinet meeting.

But the big argument did not materialize.

In the end, the free voter boss was able to prevail.

Pubs are now treated like restaurants and are allowed to open as long as they serve their guests at a fixed seat.

Aiwanger shoots against Söder - who counters promptly

The decision on the bars and pubs was made without a big argument, Aiwanger then emphasized at the press conference. Does that mean that the hatchet between the two party leaders is now buried? Probably not. Because when Aiwanger thanked the CSU for the cooperation over the past few months, he could not avoid addressing the "skirmishes" with Söder. But that is so common among coalition partners, he added. And Söder had also sat in worse governments, he agreed with his vice-president in a relatively unflattering right.

Still, Söder couldn't leave it at that. When he wanted to end the press conference and said goodbye to the journalists present, he could not resist a final tip against Aiwanger. He started a sentence with "if you have not yet been vaccinated". Halted briefly. Glanced right at the unvaccinated minister of economics. Then he quickly raised his hands soothingly so as not to suspect that he might have meant the free-voter boss by the sentence. “You can get vaccinated anywhere in Bavaria,” Söder then finished and quickly left the lectern. Aiwanger, meanwhile, didn’t move a face.

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