Wednesday was meant to be the 16th and final time that German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented and defended the coming year's federal budget in the Bundestag. Instead, she argued for the strictest measures yet to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. If people "spend too much time with others, now just before Christmas, it could end up being the last celebration with the grandparents," Merkel said. "Surely then we would have messed up. We shouldn't do that."
Merkel said the 590 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours reported Wednesday in Germany was a sad record. She said she agreed with the recommendations put forward by the National Academy of Science Leopoldina and other public health specialists to close Germany down over the holidays. Proposals include shutting schools, restricting social contact and advocating more discipline than has been shown so far.
It is the state premiers who are responsible for implementing measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. But it was a declaration of solidarity with the people most at risk during the pandemic. The usually restrained chancellor argued passionately — surely surprising lawmakers who have heard her give hundreds of fairly subdued speeches in the same spot. At the end, Merkel was rewarded with a loud round of applause, particularly from her Christian Democrats and the allied Bavarian Christian Social Union. Now, she only has a few major speeches ahead of her and there was a sense that an era was coming to an end.
Germany's 'coronavirus budget'
After years of pushing a zero-debt agenda, Merkel's bloc had no choice this time around. Parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus described the current proposal as a "coronavirus budget."
The European Union, a project close to Merkel's heart, is tottering. Germany holds the rotating presidency of the European Council until the end of 2020."Almost everything is still in flux," Merkel said, referring to the unresolved Brexit negotiations and the forthcoming budget for the bloc as Poland and Hungary exercise their veto power. This conflict could shake the EU to the core.
Wednesday could have been so different for the 66-year-old Merkel. Without the pandemic, she might have held a speech in which she touted the black zero, as Germans call their balanced-budget program, and the increased investments in the country that are thanks to her time in office since 2005. She might have given a positive review of Germany's presidency of the European Council. But this year belonged to the coronavirus pandemic. We do not even know who will lead the Christian Democrats from 2021.
Merkel's stirring performance in the Bundestag on Wednesday made clear that she is fighting for Germans — with empathy, emotion and pathos. She is fighting the spread of the coronavirus and the financial impact of the pandemic, and she is fighting for the lives of thousands of people who have been put at risk. She is fighting for the future of Germany.
Merkel was not attempting to influence the 16 state premiers: She was speaking directly to Germans who are tempted to gather in public with a cup of mulled wine. And she made a powerful impression.
This article was translated from German.