Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Against Rushing To Loosen Coronavirus Restrictions

[appalachiablue]

Source: DW

Germany's leader condemned what she sees as rampant discussions in Germany's federal states about loosening coronavirus restrictions. She urged caution and discipline to avoid increasing transmission levels again. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she felt the partial loosening of restrictions this week had led to excessive "reopening discussions orgies" in some federal states about how and when to end lockdown measures.

She made the comments, choosing a particularly descriptive term for Germany's keenness to emerge from partial lockdown, during a party conference call on Monday. Her warning comes as Germans flocked to the shops on Monday. Small stores, car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores re-opened, under an agreement Merkel reached with state leaders last Wednesday.

Germany is currently the country with the fifth highest number of COVID-19 infections, but it has seen a slowdown in transmission rates following a partial lockdown and social distancing regulations in mid March. Endless discussions about swift further easing of restrictions were not helpful, said Merkel.

Germany must stay cautious and disciplined to avoid running the risk of increasing transmission levels again. "We stand at the beginning of the pandemic and are still a long way from being out of the woods," Mekel told journalists in Berlin. It would be a "crying shame if we were to stumble into a relapse with our eyes wide open".



Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-chancellor-angela-merkel-warns-against-rushing-to-loosen-coronavirus-restrictions/a-53189290

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[Doodley]

1. What a contrast between a strong leader and Trump!

[SheltieLover]

2. And one who values people over $

Gawd he is such an embarrassment.

[PatrickforO]

3. Ah, the leader of the Free World speaks.

I've always had tremendous respect for Angela Merkel.

[Music Man]

5. I have always respected her too.

She's been through three American presidencies and always navigates them well. She is measured and smart and should be the model for any dolt who thinks women can't be strong chief executives.

I see so many traits shared between Merkel and Hillary Clinton that it's depressing to see her model of leadership and imagine what we could have had here.

[appalachiablue]

4. Not incidentally a woman as well. Doncha know. What will it take?

[DFW]

6. When one contemplates how well a Hillary Clinton administration would have worked with Merkel

The tears just begin to flow.

But don't get too jealous. Merkel will retire in 2 years, and of the three men in her party who are vying to take her place, Jens Spahn and Friederich Merz are egotistical jerks, and Armin Laschet only looks OK because the other two are not. The woman in Merkel's party who would have been an absolutely ideal (and logical) successor as Chancellor so terrified the men in her party that she was first given the politically dead-end Defense Minister's job, promptly blamed for defects in the Defense Ministry that had been there for decades, and then shunted off to heading the European Commission, an even MORE dead-end job. Ursula von der Leyen is incredibly smart, able, and speaks flawless English. She would be perfect--for the three men named above, TOO perfect--for the job. Like Bill Clinton said of the Republicans: "if it ain't broke, BREAK IT!"

[BlueMTexpat]

7. Every time I think about Clinton and Merkel

working together, I literally break down in tears!

[appalachiablue]

8. I like von der Leyden, shame on the sorry a*s males

[DFW]

9. It makes my wife furious (me, too, but she's German, and thus votes here).

The two top parties in Germany have almost always been old boys' clubs. Merkel's party, the CDU, had an able woman a couple of decades back. Her name was Rita Süssmuth. She was cast aside as soon as she started gaining a high and respected profile. The Social Democrats (SPD) had a very able finance expert named Ingrid Mattäus-Meier with whom I actually got to chat for a while. She was REALLY smart, and down to earth. She got cast aside, too. She might well have led them to a victory or two, but Schröder and the old boys wouldn't hear of it. I think she was gay, too, which the old boys didn't like, either.

I think Merkel just crept up on the German political scene at the right time, and freaked the old boys right out with her competence and durability, because she gave no indication of either in advance. They expected nothing of the sort, and when she gained rapid world-wide respect, it was too late. But, like the Republicans after FDR, four terms in a row of successful leadership was too much for them, even if she IS from their own party. So, although Germany would be better served by Von Der Leyen than by top candidates of ANY party currently out there, her chances of getting to assume the role are little and none. This means that whoever is the chancellor after Merkel will be nowhere as good as she is. We know it now, two years in advance, and STILL no one seems able to do anything about it. So much for the practical, level-headed Germans.

[appalachiablue]

10. Thanks for the lowdown on the two parties, it will be interesting

to see how the old boys compare to Merkel, they seem to be setting themselves up for some blow back, esp. given her strong record and high popularity. Hard to believe they're that anti woman but you know the deal. In the reactionary period we're in now Merkel will be much missed, although she deserves a peaceful, long break from politics.

[Neerav B. Trivedi]

11. Dear Angela Merkel

As an American citizen, I salute you. Thank you for giving humanity hope.