"Merkel Changes Stance in One Day, Says 'No Easter Lockdown'"

"Causing Anxiety... All My Fault"

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] German Chancellor Angela Merkel(photo) issued a public apology on the 24th (local time), saying, "The Easter lockdown was a mistake." This came just one day after she announced a complete lockdown order during the holiday period, requiring all businesses, shops, and schools to close and people to stay strictly at home.

At a public apology press conference held that day, Chancellor Merkel said, "The complete Easter lockdown was not feasible in terms of timing and the costs outweigh the benefits," adding, "It was entirely my mistake." She also expressed deep regret for causing anxiety due to confusion over the past 24 hours and asked for forgiveness from all citizens.

Earlier, on the 22nd, after a 15-hour meeting with the prime ministers of the 16 federal states, Merkel named the period from April 1 to 5 as a ‘pause period’ and decided to implement a strict lockdown. The main points included closing businesses, shops, supermarkets, schools, childcare facilities, and churches, and prohibiting gatherings of more than five people from one household or meetings of more than two households. As the leader of the agreement, she announced these details at a press conference on the 23rd.

However, as criticisms arose mainly from the business community and scientists that the timeframe was too tight to implement properly, Merkel decided to withdraw the complete lockdown plan in just two days. CNBC analyzed, "It is rare for Chancellor Merkel, regarded as a leading European leader, to reverse her plan," and added, "Germany, once considered a model country for quarantine, is beginning to feel the pressure to make difficult decisions amid the prolonged pandemic."

With vaccination progress in Germany still slow and the government’s quarantine measures wavering, concerns are growing that public dissatisfaction will intensify. In fact, trust in the government and ruling coalition’s ability to respond to COVID-19 has recently been halved in Germany.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.