Political row as Germany lifts coronavirus restrictions

Germany is set to lift almost all remaining coronavirus restrictions this weekend in the midst of a major political row.

The German parliament approved a motion by Olaf Scholz’s government to end restrictions by a majority of more than 100 on Friday.

But regional leaders denounced the move as “unspeakable” and “risky” and accused the national government of forcing it through without consulting them.

Amid rapidly rising infections an opinion poll found almost two-thirds of Germans want to stick to the current rules.

Kark Lauterbach, the health minister, told parliament it was too early for Germany to speak of a “Freedom Day”.

But under the measures approved on Friday almost all current restrictions will be scrapped.

A requirement to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter pubs and restaurants will be dropped.

Facemasks, currently mandatory in all public indoor places, will in future only be compulsory on public transport.

“We cannot continue to restrict the entire country to protect a small group of people who are unwilling to be vaccinated,” Mr Lauterbach told parliament.

The government is pressing ahead with the move despite soaring infection rates that saw Germany record an all-time high of 297,845 new cases of the virus in just 24 hours on Friday.

Ministers argue the lower risk of hospitalisation and death from the omicron variant justify the measures.

But the decision prompted fury from regional leaders who say they were not consulted or given a choice in the matter.

“Ending the facemask requirement goes against expert advice and is wrong,” said Malu Dreyer, regional chief minister of Rhineland-Palatinate.

“The path that is being taken is not a good one. The pandemic is demonstrably not over and it will not be over by the beginning of April either,” said Stefan Weil, chief minister of Lower Saxony.

Regional governments have the option to keep the existing rules under a transitional period until April 2, and after that they will have the power to impose local restrictions in “hot-spots” with a high infection rate.

But they accused the national government of abandoning responsibility and passing the buck to them.

"It's a slap in the face,” said Bodo Ramelow, chief minister of Thuringia. “I want to fight the pandemic.”

Volker Bouffier, the chief minister of Hesse, described the fallout as a “low point” in relations between the national government and the regions.

“The procedure is unspeakable and undignified. There was no vote at all,” he said.

The regional leaders have public support, according to a new opinion poll for Spiegel magazine by the Civey institute, which found 65 per cent of Germans believe the existing measures should be extended.

The opposition Christian Democrat party (CDU) condemned the new rules, describing them as “confusing”.

There are reports of divisions within the coalition government, with some members of the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens opposed.

The centre-Right Free Democrats (FDP), who control the justice ministry, are believed to have been a driving force behind the change.

Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, the party’s health spokesman, defended the new rules as “an important step towards normality”.

“Of course the pandemic is not over,” she said. “But there is a difference whether young or old people get infected, and this difference must also be reflected in the rules.”

Meanwhile plans to make coronavirus vaccination compulsory appear stalled. Mr Scholz said he was in favour last year, and the opinion poll found 60 per cent of Germans still support making the jab mandatory.

But cross-party attempts to draw up a law have been mired in disagreements and it looks far from fruition.

Austria, the first European country to impose compulsory vaccination, has already suspended the law on the grounds the virus no longer poses the same danger.