Söder now in “Team Awareness”?

Green doubt - "The question is who should take it from him"

Created: 01/17/2022, 09:19

By: Mike Schier

New direction: Markus Söder during a speech in the state parliament.

© dpa

Markus Söder strikes a new note in corona politics.

The interview with our newspaper was read carefully in the state parliament.

Applause comes from the coalition partner and the FDP.

Others are skeptical.

Munich

– It seems a bit like relief.

Markus Söder indicates a change of course when it comes to Corona – and something like a sigh can be heard from the CSU.

Thumbs up on social media.

"It's the right way to keep adapting the circumstances to new findings and never losing sight of the big picture," praises Christian Doleschal, the recently often critical JU chairman.

And President of the Landtag Ilse Aigner says: "In his good interview, Markus Söder addressed the important issues in the right tone.

In doing so, he shows that he reacts wisely to changing conditions.”

Corona: Söder explicitly wants to approach his critics

"We have to recognize that society expects more from us than just issuing new regulations every day," Söder

told the

"In the future we will have to justify what we do more precisely and in a way that is easier to understand." The prime minister also wants to explicitly approach his critics.

"The CSU seems to have studied their internal polls well over the turn of the year," criticizes Dieter Janecek, member of the Green Party.

This assessment is probably not entirely wrong - especially in southern Upper Bavaria, one of the CSU strongholds, there had recently been a lot of resentment about the tough Bavarian course.

Local MPs often got it.

Corona change of course by the CSU: applause comes from the coalition partner

In any case, applause now comes from the coalition partner. "The Prime Minister's reorientation of the corona policy corresponds to the experiences that we free voters have experienced first-hand over the past week," says parliamentary managing director Fabian Mehring. In the case of the free voters, there had been a major outburst among MPs and employees immediately before the parliamentary group retreat. First of all, everyone went into quarantine – some voluntarily.

"There are many indications that we have reached a new phase of the pandemic with Omikron, which raises legitimate hopes that the coronavirus will finally become endemic," says Mehring.

However, he recalls that the Free Voters have always had “in addition to the health policy aspect, the societal, social or economic dimensions” in mind.

"I therefore see the Prime Minister's move to the 'Team Awareness' as a gratifying approximation to the position of the Free Voters."

Corona in Bavaria: "If the state government is serious about reconciliation and a sense of proportion..."

The opposition is naturally more skeptical about things. "I don't think Markus Söder can win back the voters' trust like that - it was just a 180-degree turn too much for that. And no one knows whether it was the last," says FDP parliamentary group and state leader Martin Hagen. But politically, of course, the new course is welcomed. "If the state government is serious about reconciliation and a sense of proportion in corona policy, we will support them in the state parliament."

It sounds similar with Green Janecek. "The question is who should take this course from Söder with a sense of proportion after two years of hitting it with the hardest club." Katharina Schulze, green parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, says: "I read a lot of contradictions and unscientificness out of this interview." Söder speaks although from a "broader approach", I have always rejected the green proposal for an interdisciplinary Corona Commission.

Doubts also prevail in the SPD.

"It's saying goodbye to lockdowneritis," states Vice President Markus Rinderspacher.

Only: “It would be completely wrong if Söder were to turn his previous outdoing slogans into an undercutting competition.

The situation is too serious for a populist zigzag between authoritarian gestures and liberal opening rhetoric,” Rinderspacher warns.

Group leader Florian von Brunn also remains skeptical: "It's irritating that Markus Söder is also demanding vaccination and expresses understanding for opponents of vaccination."

Mike Schier