Merkel’s blundering lockdown U-turn

During her 16 years in office, Angela Merkel has produced a couple of memorable sentences that will be imprinted into her legacy. She added a few more on Wednesday, when she announced that the government rescinds plans of a radical Easter shutdown, saying: ‘This mistake is my mistake alone.’

It is quite remarkable to see a leader taking the full blame for what has been perceived as a hasty and impetuous decision. Merkel and Germany’s 16 state premiers had agreed on a radical lockdown over the Easter holidays in yet another attempt to curb the rise of coronavirus infections. But the planned shutdown was met with public anger and a backbench rebellion in Merkel’s party. Uncharacteristically for her time as German Chancellor, the pressure became so intense that Merkel saw herself compelled to U-turn on the agreement she had forced through at talks with the state premiers only two days earlier.