Germany: Will Covid-19 Mismanagement Hamper Current Elections

The result of the next German elections scheduled for September 26, 2021 could be hampered by the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

German decision-makers can no longer control the evolution of the pandemic. This failure arouses the interest of international media. As a matter of fact, the British daily newspaper “The Guardian” devoted one of its March 27 news to this subject, headline: “Heroes to zeros: how German perfectionism wrecked its Covid vaccine drive“.

The inability to deal with the pandemic is also compounded by scandals, which are difficult to cover up, such as that of Bundestag (CDU) MP Karin Strenz, who traveled to Cuba to be vaccinated and who suffered from thrombosis, was killed on March 21 in full return flight.

Confusion remains the key word to describe the current situation in Germany, especially since the Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer himself refused to be vaccinated by Astra Zeneca, at the request of the Minister of Health Jehn Spahn.

The statement by Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Munich Security Conference also considers that Germany is “ridiculous” and requires “more courage in the fight against the pandemic”.

The inability of German decision-makers to cope with the health crisis suggests that the next elections in Germany risk being strongly impacted by COVID-19.

According to DW the number of coronavirus cases in Germany passed the 3-million mark on Monday as the country’s third wave showed few signs of easing up.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said the total number of infections now stands at 3,011,513, after Germany’s disease control center confirmed 13,245 more cases.

The RKI said the country’s latest death toll from the virus is 78,452.

Since the first infection was detected in Bavaria at the end of January 2020, Germany has been grappling with lockdowns, bailouts and finger-pointing — now with the prospect of nationwide curfews being considered— as hospitals edge closer to being overwhelmed.

The chances of Germany reopening anytime soon remain slim, with the national incidence rate for the past week at 136.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. Authorities are seeking a figure below 50 before restrictions can be relaxed.