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Give more leash: Markus Söder on a walk in Nuremberg
Photo: Daniel Karmann / picture alliance / dpa
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder, otherwise an advocate of particularly strict corona measures, is apparently planning a change of course. He wanted to take a “broader approach” in corona policy, because society expects more from politicians than new regulations, he told the “Münchner Merkur”. It will no longer be sufficient “to consider the situation only from a medical and virological point of view. We also have to pay more attention to the societal and social components.« And added: »I thought about the turn of the year for a long time.« He had »drawn deep lessons« from the past two years.
Society is not split into two equal parts, but it is divided.
There is “a small group of lateral thinkers with very abstruse arguments, a large group of very cautious people”.
But there is also another group that you have to try harder for, said the CSU boss: “People who are simply unsettled and complained.
We need to talk to them again.
Because not everyone who is skeptical is a corona denier, conspiracy theorist or right-wing radical.«
Listening more is the first step to healing.
He wanted to talk to the critics.
“We need to realize that society expects more from us than just making new regulations every day.
In the future we will have to justify what we do in a more precise and understandable way.«
Vaccination as a way »out of this corona endless loop«
He wanted to bring together “Team Caution” and “Team Awareness”.
However, tough action must be taken against the radical right-wing scene, which is trying to destabilize democracy.
“Hate and agitation must be fought”.
Söder also adheres to a general obligation to vaccinate.
It is not only related to the new corona variant Omikron.
All future mutations should also be overcome in this way in order to “get out of this corona endless loop” and “finally have more freedom again”.
Living free and carefree from Corona is only possible through vaccination.
The obligation to do so is therefore better “than permanent hundreds of individual rules and regulations in all areas of life”.
At the next prime ministerial conference on January 24th, consideration should be given to adjusting the rules and, for example, talking to the Bundesliga about allowing spectators back into the stadiums.
For Bavaria, Söder announced that in the medium term it would again be possible to occupy every second place at cultural events.
There should only be a lockdown if the incidence is far higher than 1000.
The allocations in the intensive care units should play a role here.
