School closings, mask requirements and lockdowns: The restrictions during the corona pandemic were sometimes highly controversial. Leading traffic light politicians are now calling for a thorough examination of the decisions made at the time.
Leading representatives of the traffic light government have spoken out in favor of a critical examination of the Corona policy. The everyday restrictions to contain the pandemic were sometimes very controversial. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck reiterated in Berlin: “I don’t find it at all dishonorable to say that the Corona period needs to be looked at again and dealt with.”
Other top politicians agree with him, including Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach: “I’m not standing in the way of a reappraisal,” said the SPD politician. Nevertheless, he urged appropriate action.
With the publication of protocols from the Robert Kochs Institute (RKI) on the corona pandemic last week, the debate about the then government’s crisis management was fueled again. The FDP is pushing for a Bundestag study commission, while the SPD is apparently still discussing the framework for a critical assessment. Study commissions usually consist of representatives from all parliamentary groups and external experts from science and practice.
Habeck: Working through injuries and experiences
Habeck expressed reservations about the establishment of such a commission. Instead, the “most important thing” is that debates from the pandemic that are no longer helpful are repeated again. In his opinion, we need to work through many of the injuries and experiences that single parents, for example, have suffered from. He spoke of “experiences of isolation.”
The lack of school-based learning steps may also not have been fully addressed. During the corona pandemic, schools were sometimes closed for weeks as supposed drivers of infection. Many politicians now admit this to be a mistake, including Federal Health Minister Lauterbach.
Lauterbach advocates constructive reappraisal
For the SPD politician, a reappraisal must be directed forward: “I believe that we as the federal government have to think about it: What is the wisest form of reappraisal?” said Lauterbach in Berlin. He once again referred to a “Health and Resilience” expert council recently set up at the Chancellery, which should also deal with the preparation of new pandemics.
A lot of things don’t concern his term as minister. He repeatedly emphasized that, on the whole, the management of the pandemic had been very successful and praised the work of the RKI. The further handling of the RKI crisis team’s protocols, which were published by the online magazine “Multipolar”, should be discussed together with the institute. He did not cause any redactions in the minutes.
According to its own statements, “Multipolar” enforced the release of the minutes through legal action as a result of a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Observers consider the portal to be close to conspiracy narrative publications.
Buyx: Trust in science is great
The chairwoman of the Ethics Council, Alena Buyx, finds kind words. She points to successes and positive effects and defends politics and science. The RKI protocols show how carefully they weighed things up and incorporated new findings, the doctor told “Spiegel”. The rule of law and democratic principles also worked. “There are phenomena of division and polarization, yes, but society is much less divided than is being made out to be the case at the moment,” she added. “And trust in science is still higher than before the pandemic.”
In this context, the head of the Ethics Council warned against a distortion of the social debate. Habeck also campaigned for understanding in society in Berlin. Those in charge at the time could always take credit for having to make decisions, even though they sometimes only had incomplete information. With the reappraisal, he wants to bring the country back together at this point.