Constantin Eckner

Germany may never be the same after coronavirus

When Emmanuel Macron told the French people how his government would tackle coronavirus, he used the word ‘war’ six times. Boris Johnson adopted a similar stance, invoking wartime language to tell Brits we will ‘win the fight’ and beat the enemy’. In her recent televised speech, chancellor Angela Merkel specifically avoided suggesting that Germany is ‘at war’ with the coronavirus. Such over-the-top rhetoric wouldn‘t fit Merkel‘s persona, and to declare war would unsettle rather than motivate Germans. But the softer language doesn’t mean that this isn’t a pivotal moment in Germany’s history. 

The country went into lockdown on 23 March to battle the continuing spread of the coronavirus. For the first time since its foundation after World War II, fundamental rights are severely restricted; something that might seem only inconsequential elsewhere is an event of historic proportion in a country that was once ruled by dictatorship.

The establishment of civil rights was a particular concern of the authors of the German constitution in 1948/49. German history has shown that unalterable fundamental rights are indispensable and that no government should ever be allowed to abridge them. But this is exactly what is now being done with the banning of even the smallest gatherings and some of the regulations imposed to battle the pandemic, especially the proposed reform of the infection protection act. What sounds like a rather technical law will, in fact, allow Germany’s ministry of health to confiscate products, issue sales bans, close production facilities or force companies to change production through a statutory order.

The authority to implement these measures without requiring a parliamentary vote can turn into a carte blanche. Many Germans are equally fearful. And still, minister Jens Spahn thinks the new infection protection act doesn’t go far enough. His idea to employ mass surveillance via mobile phone tracking was on the table for days until it had to be scrapped last week.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in