Wednesday February 10, 2021
Kubicki in the "ntv early start"
"Government distracts from its own failure"
The lockdown is to be extended mainly because of the virus mutations. FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki thinks this is scare tactics – and attacks SPD politician Karl Lauterbach.
Concerned about the mutating virus variants, the federal government wants to extend the lockdown until mid-March. FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki cannot understand that: "Mutations alone are not a sufficient reason to forego the withdrawal of measures restricting freedom," he said in the "ntv Frühstart". Denmark and Great Britain have a higher proportion of mutations than Germany and both countries have got the situation under control.
Kubicki understands that the federal government attaches great importance to the mutations, since they divert attention from their own failure, "for example when it comes to obtaining the vaccine and the inoculation". About SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach, who had again warned against too early easing, Kubicki said: "He is now applying for the lead role in the film 'Apocalypse Now'. If it comes to Lauterbach, we will never get out of the lockdown because we face the situation every time that the virus can mutate. " The legislature does not foresee that, said Kubicki. "I urgently warn against panic."
The FDP deputy pointed out that the Infection Protection Act forced the legislature to withdraw measures if the number of infections fell. That is the case with the two threshold values of an incidence of 35 and 50. "It won't take very long before we're under 50, and then certain restrictions can no longer be justified." The citizens need a perspective, many are fighting for their existence. "You have to explain to them that they can get their lives under control again if the incidence numbers actually fall below the 50 mark."
Kubicki called for a nationwide corona step-by-step plan, as presented by the FDP on Tuesday. It is crucial that it is clearly regulated when the governments have to withdraw which measures. "Citizens just have to know whether something is allowed or prohibited." Kubicki admitted, however, that a school or a shop could theoretically open, close and reopen within days if the phased plan were implemented. However, the plan always provides seven days in advance for changes.
On Tuesday the federal government initiated the extension of the "epidemic emergency of national scope". On this basis, the government can issue statutory ordinances in the fight against the pandemic, for example with regard to travel rules. Kubicki announced that the FDP would not agree to the extension of the emergency in the Bundestag. "We say that the legal basis for the statutory authorization has to go. We need more parliamentary participation again, not less."
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