Consultations in Königswinter
End of the Corona emergency? Prime ministers continue to demand uniform nationwide rules
Armin Laschet (M., CDU), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, opens the Prime Minister’s Conference
© Oliver Berg // Picture Alliance
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) has spoken out in favor of the end of the epidemic situation in Germany. However, the prime ministers continue to insist on uniform national rules in the fight against the corona virus.
The Prime Minister’s Conference of the federal states has continued to demand uniform nationwide rules for combating the corona pandemic. This would have to be created by the Bundestag by November 25, said the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU), on Friday after consultations in Königswinter near Bonn. Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) had recently announced that he wanted to let the current epidemic emergency of national scope expire at the end of November.
“The countries need this option”
Laschet said it was expectation of the Prime Minister’s Conference that general legal bases would apply to tracking contact details or the so-called AHA rules. “The states need this option”, but this must be regulated by federal law.
Berlin’s governing mayor Michael Müller (SPD) said that the prime ministers were concerned that if the incidence rose, the legal basis would suddenly be missing. As Müller said, there are several options for a legal basis in the opinion of the country leaders.
It could be decided to extend the current epidemic emergency. However, a transitional arrangement is also possible or a resolution for individual questions is possible. The new Bundestag and the federal government still in office would have to act here so that there is a basis for action by the federal states.