The talk shows are currently offering a wide range of crises to be discussed: war in Ukraine, insecure gas supplies. And a topic is just coming back that many would have hoped would have evaporated: Corona. The opposite is the case. Germany is facing a “summer wave”, the 7-day incidence is increasing, as is the number of people suffering from Covid 19 in intensive care units.
And now: “Is Germany better prepared for the next wave?” Anne Will wanted to draw a first balance in her talk show. In the end it was not possible, because it is unclear which measures will be taken or should be taken. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD), whose talk show frequency clearly shows the incidence, did not want to “unnerve the population” with hasty announcements. And neither does the coalition partner FDP.
Lauterbach is in the middle of negotiations with Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, he didn’t want to report anything about the course of events, so Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, who sits on the Bundestag health committee for the FDP, wouldn’t have been particularly amused either. Another lockdown? compulsory vaccination? Mask duty? School closures – the spectator could not rule out anything after the 60 minutes, the round remained extremely vague.
The talk show on the announced topic came late, too late. Which was also due to Ricardo Lange. He is an intensive care nurse and is well known to the Tagesspiegel audience. Lange is the personified version of “When politics meets reality”. Lange is a positive impertinence for every round: “When I hear that you want to relieve the intensive care units, then I sit in front of the TV with my fists clenched.” And he continued to rant because the staffing situation in clinics and hospitals is pissing him off. Ricardo Lange growled, unleashed a thunderstorm of questions, whether he wanted to or not, he brought the atmosphere into the round.
Lauterbach disagreed, supported by the FDP politician. A new care relief law is in the works, and there is a lot in the Lauterbach house and in the ministries. much work in progress. As I said, “Anne Will” did not find the balance sheet, but did find the interim balance sheet. It also included Christina Berndt, science editor of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, who called for an evaluation of the measures. Definitely not the worst idea, but don’t be late.
The talk show offered more confusion of opinion than clarity, which is why the impression had to arise: Germany, more precisely: German politics is not really well prepared for the next wave. If data is missing, is wastewater monitoring a solution? Karl Lauterbach has to deliver now.
Will “Anne Will” discuss it? One talk show after the other is going on summer break. The wars and crises don’t do it. That means: German public television is not prepared for it.
