German Chancellor Merkel to face mounting lockdown revolt

Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a test of her authority on Wednesday as she meets Germany's 16 state premiers, many of whom have brazenly ignored her pleas for caution on easing coronavirus restrictions.

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Germany began tentatively lifting its lockdown two weeks ago, opening some shops and schools, after infection rates came down.

Merkel and the state leaders agreed last week to loosen the rules further, giving religious institutions, playgrounds, museums and zoos the green light to open.

A man wearing a face cover cycles in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. John Macdougall/AFP

But a national consensus on aligning measures to counter the virus — which was coupled with a sharp rise in Merkel's popularity — appears to have crumbled, as many states have struck out alone to further ease lockdown rules.

'Cautious reopening'

Wednesday's meeting is expected to yield details on the reopening of schools and kindergartens, as well as whether the Bundesliga can become the first of Europe's major football leagues to resume matches.

Also up for discussion will be an infection-rate threshold that would trigger a new lockdown, according to the Bild daily.

Ahead of the talks, Merkel had asked regional leaders to draw up concepts on how the food-and-drink industry could restart.

But on the eve of her discussions with regional leaders, Germany's biggest state Bavaria preempted federal measures by announcing that its restaurants would open from May 18 and hotels and guest houses from May 30.

State premier Markus Soeder said "the time has come for a cautious reopening", pointing to the "success" in containing the spread of the virus.

A man walks past a cinema with the words "Stay at Home" on display in Berlin's Kreuzberg district. AFP

Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland and Saxony-Anhalt have also announced their own plans for everything from restaurants to care homes.

Merkel has repeatedly urged Germany's states to proceed with caution when it comes to easing lockdown measures, even as Europe's top economy flounders.

"It remains absolutely important that we stay disciplined," she said after last week's relaxing of measures, adding that the effects of the new rules would be watched carefully.

The restrictions -- but also greater testing capacities -- have seen Germany keep its death rate far lower than that of its European neighbours.

Although Germany has recorded over 160,000 coronavirus cases, it has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world -- just over 6,800 people have died.

Agence France-Presse