Germans are way ahead of their political leadership. Almost 50% think the current #lockdown light is too soft.

#Merkel saw all of this coming, of course. It's mostly the stupidity of our state prime ministers, two of whom want to become Chancellor, that we are in this mess.

But could #Merkel not have done more?

Well, the states govern security and health policy. Even under the new infection laws, the powers of the federal level are limited.

Isn't there a "state of #emergency" type law? There is, but it's limited.

(Ironically, the 70+ agers of today, that we are trying to protect, were the same people demonstrating against the existing, limited "emergency laws" in 1968.)

The limited state of #emergency legislation in Germany does not seem very tailored to a health emergency. It's rather limited to security threats or earthquakes. So #Merkel would have to use other, soft powers.

Did she? I am not sure. It's the prevention paradox: had she forced state prime ministers from her own party to follow her (which she could have, I think), the 2nd wave might not have turned out so bad, and it would have cost her politically.

I see #Merkel's failiure in her preference for backroom deals and tactics, rather than open communication and #strategy, which would have been needed for a consistent approach against #Covid19.

Economically speaking, what #Germany is doing is among the worst tactics possible: let virus escalate, opt for a light lockdown, do that for weeks without success, and then go into full #lockdown.

But if you don't have a #strategy, that's what you end up with. /end