Corona and Democracy - Germany

Information on COVID-19 measures and democracy

• to reduce contacts to other people to the absolute minimum
• to keep distance to other people (minimum 1,5m)
• to meet in the public with maximum 2 people or the members of your household, no groups of celebrating people in the public allowed
• to leave your house or apartement only for work, shopping, medical reasons or sports in the fresh air
• restaurants and pubs have to be closed (except take aways), personal services (like hairdressers or massage) have to be closed.
• These rules have to be followed until 19th of April.

   20 April:

• The government announced the easing of restrictions, opening of businesses and schools. Social distancing measures will remain in place until 3 May. Large events are banned until 31 August.

   12 May:

• the Interior Minister announced that some inner-European borders would be open from 15 June. Easing of controls from 15 May.

3 June:

• The Red-Red-Green coalition drafted a new long-term resolution for the laws of assembly, particularly the number of people necessary for the law of assembly to apply, as well as manifesting the de-escalation regulations for police.

23 June:

• Travel and other restrictions were re-imposed on the Guetersloh county due to a coronavirus outbreak at the Toennies slaughterhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck.

• Germany reports few violations as states impose coronavirus lockdowns
• What are Germany's new coronavirus social distancing rules?
• Germany won't lift coronavirus restrictions before April 20: Chancellory
• https://www.rnd.de/politik/kontaktverbot-in-bundeslandern-was-ist-noch-erlaubt-und-wie-lange-gelten-die-regeln-Q4A62ORQZFBNHGSDY
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/angela-merkel-announces-plans-reopen-schools-shops-germany-coronavirus-lockdown
• https://berlinspectator.com/2020/05/13/germany-interior-minister-seehofer-announces-easing-of-border-controls/
• https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/regelungen-fuer-demos-in-berlin-rot-rot-gruen-legt-entwurf-fuer-neues-versammlungsgesetz-vor/25882902.html
• https://time.com/5857849/germany-slaughterhouse-coronavirus/

• It is reported that some elections or referenda on regional or municipal level are postponed due to the fact that it is not possible to campaign.
• It is reported that some parliaments on municipal level have stopped to meet due to not being able to keep the distance rule.

• Germany's government is debating how much privacy should and can be protected amid a pandemic. No decisions have been made yet.

• Will Germans trade privacy for coronavirus protection?

• The German government is using powers imparted under the existing "Infection Protection Law" of 2001.
• This can be declared and ended by parliament. It gives the government almost complete freedom to do anything they think is necessary to overcome the catastrophe.

• What is a state of emergency in Germany?

• LexCorona
• http://www.bgbl.de/xaver/bgbl/start.xav?startbk=Bundesanzeiger_BGBl&jumpTo=bgbl120s0587.pdf

• The German Bundestag has approved an aid package for the economy. In order to fund the emergency measures, the government is planning to take on new debt for the first time since 2013.
• The German military is preparing for a long-term operation inside the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus

• Coronavirus: German parliament passes historic aid package
• What's in Germany's emergency coronavirus budget?
• Coronavirus: Germany plans to mobilize military reservists