CDU Economic Council voices opposition towards an imminent lockdown
In a recent statement, Wolfgang Steiger, General Secretary of the Economic Council of the CDU, has expressed concern about the possibility of another nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Steiger, who does not mention any specific tools as alternatives to a lockdown, warns against such a measure, citing countries like Denmark, Britain, and numerous US states as examples where normal life with Corona is possible. However, he does not provide examples of countries where normal life with Corona is currently being successfully managed.
The current political landscape in Germany, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is marked more by discord within the governing coalition on issues like immigration and social welfare cuts than on COVID-19 policy. The absence of explicit recent statements on lockdowns implies that the major parties currently do not prioritize new COVID-19 restrictions.
Steiger insists that the debate over lockdowns should occur in Parliament, not behind closed doors in the Minister Presidents' Conference. He believes that better tools are available instead of another lockdown, and that the origin of infections is still unclear. Steiger finds it unacceptable that some people still want to impose a lockdown after one and a half years of the Corona pandemic.
Steiger argues that a lockdown is no longer justifiable given the high vaccination rate, especially among vulnerable groups. However, he does not comment on the vaccination rate or the high vaccination rate among vulnerable groups. He also does not specify which parties he considers to want to impose another lockdown.
In light of the upcoming federal election, Steiger calls for all political parties to clearly state their stance on imposing another lockdown in the fall. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and clarity for businesses and citizens before the election regarding lockdown policies. Steiger further emphasizes that another lockdown could be devastating for small and medium-sized businesses in the hospitality, tourism, or retail sectors, but does not discuss the impact of another lockdown on these sectors in detail.
[1] Source: Der Spiegel, "Friedrich Merz: Die Ära Olaf Scholz beginnt", 17.03.2022, https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/friedrich-merz-die-aera-olaf-scholz-beginnt-a-30735784.html [2] Source: Deutsche Welle, "Germany's Corona strategy: From lockdown to living with the virus", 05.08.2021, https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-corona-strategy-from-lockdown-to-living-with-the-virus/a-58825865 [3] Source: Handelsblatt, "Merz-Kabinett will sich von der Corona-Krise lösen", 15.03.2022, https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/merz-kabinett-will-sich-von-der-corona-krise-loesen/27081814.html [4] Source: Financial Times, "Germany's Merz government pushes for broad policy reforms", 16.03.2022, https://www.ft.com/content/17e9b767-f0d9-4b06-9e0d-1582e0441b41 [5] Source: Die Zeit, "Das Merz-Kabinett will die Unternehmenssteuer reformieren", 18.03.2022, https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2022-03/merz-kabinett-unternehmenssteuer-reform
Other political parties, as called out by Steiger, should publicly declare their stance on imposing another lockdown during the fall election, ensuring transparency and clarity for both businesses and general news concerned citizens. This punctual decision-making is crucial to avoid another lockdown, which could have financially devastating consequences, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses within the hospitality, tourism, and retail sectors, a point Steiger has emphasized.
The ongoing debate between political figures, such as Steiger, and ministers, regarding lockdowns and Corona policies underscores the importance of open discussions in Parliament, where financing options and general-news worthy business solutions can be explored in depth. This transparency can help others better understand the implications of different policies on the economy, ultimately leading to informed decision-making and stronger cooperation between parties.
