Merkel has lost control of Germany’s coronavirus response

Angela Merkel unveiled a new phase of Germany’s strategy for dealing with coronavirus last night. Much of what she said was already widely known, but the nuances of what she announced were still revealing. Two households will now be able to meet up with each other. Football – albeit behind closed doors – is back on. Restaurants and hotels will reopen within the next few weeks. And people in care homes will be allowed one visitor. ‘All in all, it is a balanced decision’, Merkel said in typical Merkel fashion after the meeting between the government and Germany’s 16 federal states where the next phase was thrashed out. In reality, however, Germany is witnessing a major shift in its approach to the crisis, as Berlin is no longer in charge. Instead, federal states have taken the reins. In Germany’s federal system, the state governments have always been in charge to enforce lockdown policies, but, up to this point, they were on the same page in regards to a lot of issues and usually followed what Berlin was suggesting.