Saturday, November 13th, 2021
“We need new measures”
Lindner sees the traffic light at Corona on course
The FDP boss defends the latest Corona resolutions by the traffic light parties against massive criticism from the Union. One will react to the dramatic situation and, if necessary, also sharpen it. For Lindner, the debate about the expiring epidemic emergency is just a dispute about words.
The fact that the national emergency should end when infection records are set is making the traffic light parties increasingly nervous. FDP boss Christian Lindner has contradicted the impression that the FDP is taking the fourth wave lightly. In an interview with the editorial network Germany, he announced a determined approach to contain the corona pandemic and did not rule out tightening measures by the likely future traffic light coalition with the SPD and the Greens. “The corona situation is dramatic,” he told the RND, adding: “We need new and effective measures.”
The debate about the end of the epidemic emergency on November 25th was “misleading,” explained Lindner. “This word refers to the government’s special legal powers, which can, however, be exercised by parliament. And it is about measures such as curfews, which have since been rejected by the courts.” Vaccination breakthroughs and the dynamics of infections now justified “a new situation that must be responded to,” said the FDP politician.
“That is why we will, among other things, reintroduce the free tests. Their abolition was premature.” The FDP boss also defended himself against the accusation that among the traffic light parties, the liberals in particular had thwarted a stricter Corona course. If “meaningful additions are proposed during the deliberations on the new Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag, the Free Democrats are always open to them,” said Lindner.
The countries will vote
After the latest attacks, for example by the managing health minister Jens Spahn from the CDU or the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder from the CSU, Lindner emphasized that the fight against the pandemic should not “become a partisan issue”. In addition, nothing speaks against a vote of the countries. “There will be a prime ministerial conference next week.” Depending on the development of the situation, the 2G rule “may be necessary at least in some regions because the vaccination progress in Germany falls short of expectations”. When it comes to vaccination, Germany must “step up all efforts”.
The new infection protection law of the SPD, Greens and FDP, which the Bundestag first discussed on Thursday, allows corona measures such as mask requirements and distance requirements in force. In the meantime, the traffic light parties are planning further regulations such as a nationwide 3G rule at the workplace and test obligations in care submissions. The details are yet to be determined. The epidemic emergency of national scope is expected to expire on November 25th, and the traffic light parties have so far refused to extend it.