Status: 11/26/2021 2:25 p.m.
About a week ago, the federal and state governments discussed measures to counter the pandemic, and the next meeting is scheduled for December 9th. But more and more country leaders are taking too long – like Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder.
Tens of thousands of new infections with the coronavirus per day, clinics at the limit – in view of the ever worsening pandemic, more and more country heads are demanding the fastest possible advice on a uniform procedure.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder also warns that action must be taken – and preferably immediately: “With Corona there will not be a 100-day grace period, we don’t even have 100 hours.” That is why another prime ministerial conference would have to be convened – not just on December 9, as is currently planned, but immediately.
There is a threat of “land under” – before Christmas
“If there is no nationwide regulation, then the country will be under before Christmas. And with considerable mortal danger,” warned the CSU boss further – and made it clear what the course now necessary in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus should look like. He uses a term that has already appeared in the pandemic: the federal emergency brake. The federal cabinet had decided in mid-April, with nationwide uniform limit values of the seven-day incidence, from which strict corona requirements apply or are to be relaxed again. It ran out again at the end of June.
Söder also calls for a mandatory vaccination. In his opinion, this should apply at the beginning of the new year.
Woidke calls for the future government to participate
Even before Söder, the head of the Saarland, Tobias Hans, had pleaded for a conference of prime ministers to be brought forward. The federal and state governments last discussed the corona situation on November 18. The Brandenburg Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke now agreed to the demand for a faster meeting, provided that representatives of the future traffic light coalition also take part in the debate. The executive and the upcoming federal government would have to coordinate, including any further necessary corona measures, said the SPD politician to the TV channels RTL and ntv.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer is also putting pressure on it. “Hesitation is punished – we need a federal-state meeting as soon as possible,” he told the editorial network in Germany. “Kretschmer was also concerned about the mutant of the virus that was newly discovered in South Africa. Its spread must be prevented.
According to a spokeswoman, Reiner Haseloff, head of the state of neighboring Saxony-Anhalt, may also consider it useful to bring forward the next Prime Minister’s Conference. However, it is not yet possible to conclusively assess how effective the resolutions agreed at the previous MPK are.
Spahn for a meeting in the next few days
During the joint assessment of the current infection situation with the head of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, the acting Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn also spoke out in favor of an earlier federal-state meeting on Friday. The consultations should take place in the next few days. Spahn criticized the fact that you are currently fighting on too many sidelines such as new vaccination requirements or new corona committees. That does not help to break the fourth wave. Instead, he urged stricter contact restrictions.
Dreyer wants to stick to the deadline
But not all country leaders see an occasion for an early Prime Minister’s Conference. Malu Dreyer, Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, spoke out in favor of setting December 9 as the next date. The federal and state governments decided on measures at the deliberations about a week ago. These are now to be implemented. Furthermore, the designated Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced further steps such as the establishment of a crisis team in the Chancellery and the compulsory vaccination for certain professional groups. If, however, a majority of the country leaders were in favor of an earlier MPK, Rhineland-Palatinate would “not shut itself off”.
Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein also see no need for the Prime Minister’s Conference to be brought forward. From the Hamburg Senate it was said that it was now time to act. However, the necessary funds are available. And the first mayor of the Hanseatic city, Peter Tschentscher, now emphasized that he saw no point in an earlier appointment. Some prime ministers were “repeatedly” surprised by “what all the experts have predicted.” On the other hand, no MPK could be organized. “That is really also a question of attitude, that one accepts what was to be expected.”
A spokesman for Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther argued in a similar way. “The Infection Protection Act gives us sufficient instruments” to implement the measures agreed at the last federal-state meeting.