If there is one thing that can be said about the incumbent health minister, it is that he has not covered himself with fame when it comes to pandemic management. A chronicle of communicative failure.
When it comes to crisis communication, Germany is a prime example of how not to do it. “Communication is the biggest problem in the pandemic”, complained about medical associations at the end of November in an appeal. It had started promisingly. “We will continue to say what we know every day, but also what we do not yet know. We take the situation very seriously,” it says in one written government statement from the Minister of Health of March 4, 2020. “Here in Germany we can rely on experts who are among the best and most respected in the world.”
In March 2020, Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the population directly in a televised address, asking them to take the current situation seriously. Since then, no one from the federal government has turned to the citizens. And Jens Spahn seems to have forgotten his promise.
Relaxation: Spahn says no, the MPs prevail
The incidences will rise again in winter 2020, and politicians will decide on a partial lockdown. In the following spring, the situation eased with a view to the incidences. The fight against pandemics is falling victim to federalism. Calls for a long-term and nationwide uniform phased plan are loud. The Minister of Health acknowledged this with the words: “Everyone wants a three- and six-month plan, but that’s just not possible. I think we shouldn’t make any false promises”. In other words: Openings are not possible at the moment – not even if they are controlled by a set of rules. Strict is still Spahn’s motto.
But then it works – somehow. The Chancellor is wrestling with the “Easter rest” and with the Prime Minister for one Step-by-step plan that actually fits on a A4 sheet of paper, but could hardly be more complex. Hardly anyone can remember how high the incidence has to be where and what applies where in order for certain contact restrictions and hygiene concepts to take effect. Especially not when the pandemic in Germany is so different.
“Let’s get back full life”
But that doesn’t really matter in March, because summer is approaching – and with it the hope of low incidences like in the first year of the pandemic. In fact, the number of cases is slowly falling. “We all managed to break the wave together and thus have the chances of a good summer,” said Spahn at the end of May in an interview with the “image“. The corona vaccination, which is gaining momentum now that everyone can be offered an offer, is seen in politics as a ticket out of the pandemic. And things are going well, as Spahn himself emphasizes:” We are playing in the championship when it comes to vaccination League. “
But he has exaggerated a bit, because the vaccination rate stagnates again and again. One reason is the vaccine from the British manufacturer Astrazeneca, which was criticized for its rare but severe side effects. The data on the vaccines are still sparse, and they were also developed against the wild type, which has now been replaced by the delta variant. That unsettles you.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health tries to increase the motivation for the spades and relies on the Germans’ love of freedom. A commercial shows what life could be like – if you could get vaccinated. The video begins with a woman getting vaccinated. As a result, cafés and restaurants open, families celebrate birthdays, orchestras play in full halls again and thousands let themselves be carried away at a festival – thanks to the vaccination. The commercial ends with the faded-in sentence: “Let’s get our full life back.” The message behind it is clear, but it’s not that simple.
Jens Spahn’s laissez-faire attitude
The Germans should now look at the outlined scenarios only with scorn. Experts had already warned of a fourth wave in the summer. But the caution that Spahn advocated in the spring seems to have thrown overboard. In agreement with science, his decisions have not been in place since August at the latest, when Spahn declared the citizen tests to be chargeable.
In October, Spahn suddenly flirted with the end of the epidemic emergency – although the number of cases was clearly going in the wrong direction. Spahn’s reasoning: “The German vaccination campaign is even more successful than previously thought (…) That gives us additional security for autumn and winter.” The situation is different from last year, when the vaccination was not yet available. The traffic light parties followed the suggestion only too eagerly and immediately proclaimed Freedom Day next year – as if the virus were based on the calendar in Berlin’s government district. Vaccination is now a top priority for Spahn. It is not communicated that the effect wears off again after a certain time and that vaccinated people can also be infectious.
In November it appears that Jens Spahn is working towards the end of his term with a defiant, laissez-faire attitude. He had drawn attention to the dramatic situation weeks ago, said Spahn looking back on “Anne Will” last Sunday. At the same time, the man who actually could have emerged from this time as the ultimate crisis manager sat in his chair as indifferently as someone who has nothing to do with the whole thing.
But the opposite is true. That Spahn only has irritated statements left for those who have not been vaccinated (“There are still those who believe that the virus cannot harm them. I would like to drag these people to an intensive care unit and ask them in the face of their suffering: What else has to be done?” happen so that you get it? “, said Jens Spahn in the” Rheinische Post “), the willingness to vaccinate among those mentioned will definitely not increase. Even threats will probably not be of much use (“Probably everyone will be vaccinated, recovered or died by the end of this winter. “).
Communicative pitfalls
In addition, there is the closure and laborious reopening of the vaccination centers, which slows down the vaccination campaign properly. Queues for vaccination campaigns – as most recently in Hamburg in the Elbphilharmonie – and fully booked vaccination appointments at the family doctor until February speak volumes. The fact that Jens Spahn also caps the Biontech deliveries to family doctors and promotes the active ingredient from Moderna, which Stiko does not recommend for people under 30 due to an increased risk, is another own goal of the health minister.
And when it came to boosting, there were communicative misunderstandings, which the man who, of all people, was supposed to only be advising the Minister of Health, eliminated. At a late hour, Stiko boss Thomas Mertens said on the show “Lanz”: When Jens Spahn spoke out in favor of a refresher for everyone, but Stiko only recommended the booster for people over 70, they both meant the same group. Politicians had previously spoken out in favor of only boosting those who had a second vaccination six or more months ago. That is the case with those over 70, according to Mertens. Eliminated misunderstanding? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. Shortly thereafter the Stiko recommended a Corona refresher for everyone over the age of 18. So Spahn had meant what he had said after all? You probably won’t know.
German politicians are not necessarily known for admitting mistakes. Jens Spahn is no exception. A week and a half ago, he said on ZDF that he had warned of a difficult autumn and winter. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of vaccinations, calls for boosters and appeals to the population to reduce contacts. His rhetoric is shaped by the subjunctive, he shifts the responsibility to the citizens, in the end he repeatedly recommended reducing contacts. Knowing that clubs and bars known as spreader locations will continue to be visited. It is quite possible that in his last days in office he is speculating that his successors will iron out the chaos again. After all, he can’t be said to have done nothing. It was still enough for appeals.