Bavaria head more popular than Merkel in midst of coronavirus crisis

[webfact]

Bavaria head more popular than Merkel in midst of coronavirus crisis

 

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavarian State Premier Markus Soeder leave after a news conference after a meeting with federal state leaders at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The premier of the southern state of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, is Germany's most popular politician, a poll showed on Friday, boosting his chances of standing as the conservative chancellor candidate in the next election and succeeding Angela Merkel.

 

During the coronavirus crisis, which has hit Bavaria particularly hard, Soeder has impressed commentators by introducing tough steps to restrict social contact before the rest of Germany while displaying a calm and reassuring air.

 

The INSA poll for Focus magazine put Soeder, head of Bavaria's conservative CSU, on 129 points, up 11 from a week ago and overtaking Merkel who came second on 126 points, making him Germany's most popular politician for the first time.

 

After almost 15 years leading Europe's biggest economy, Merkel has said she will not seek a fifth term and her conservative CDU party is in the midst of a leadership race after her protege said last month she would stand down.

 

The winner is in a strong position to run as German chancellor in a federal election due by October 2021. Bavaria's CSU must agree, however, as the two parties form a parliamentary bloc, and despite protestations that he is happy as state premier, Soeder may decide to stand himself.

 

Germany has recorded 10,999 cases of the coronavirus and 20 deaths. Bavaria, which had Germany's first cases, now has 1,692 cases and eight people there have died. Soeder has led the way with school closures and other social distancing steps and has called a state of emergency in Bavaria.

 

One commentator in top-selling Bild this week said Soeder was his hero. "In this war against the virus I want you to be field marshal," he wrote.

 

In part hamstrung by Germany's federal system, which gives a lot of power to the 16 states, Merkel has at times appeared dry and more hesitant. Only on Wednesday evening did she address the public about the crisis in a rare television address.

 

A separate poll for Focus, conducted by Kantar, showed that among conservatives, Soeder was the most popular choice to run for chancellor, scoring 30% compared to 22% each for CDU candidates Friedrich Merz and Armin Laschet.

 

It is unclear when the leader will be chosen as the CDU has postponed a conference to decide from April 25.

 

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Catherine Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-20

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[sweatalot]

I don't know Mr.Soeder well, but anyone is better for the job than this criminal who opened the border to all that scum (not saying that there were no decent people who should have been welcomed) But letting everybody in uncontrolled? With a violent religion? 

[Trentham]

3 hours ago, sweatalot said:

I don't know Mr.Soeder well, but anyone is better for the job than this criminal who opened the border to all that scum (not saying that there were no decent people who should have been welcomed) But letting everybody in uncontrolled? With a violent religion? 

I am an atheist who is not German. Merkel did the the thing that any decent person would for desperate people. I assume you are referring to Islam when you write "violent religion". Islam is not a violent religion any more than Christianity [think Ireland or for Buddhism- Myanmar] and remember the "Christian" killer who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch. As for "scum" look nearer to home.

[Caldera]

8 hours ago, sweatalot said:

I don't know Mr.Soeder well, but anyone is better for the job than this criminal who opened the border to all that scum (not saying that there were no decent people who should have been welcomed) But letting everybody in uncontrolled? With a violent religion? 

I'll bite, what crime did she commit? Cite the specific section of the German criminal code (if you can). Poor leadership, yes. Criminal, I don't think so.

 

I quite like Mr Soeder. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't stand a chance to be nominated. Under these extraordinary circumstances, who knows!

 

[Logosone]

Angela Merkel is notorious for a lack of leadership. She will wait which way the wind blows then jump that way regardless.

 

This waiting has cost Germany dearly. As early as 2012 the Robert Koch institute published a paper that dealt with a coronavirus pandemic and its implications.

 

She had 8 years to prepare and did nothing.

 

Only after they let in tons of virus carriers does she now do something. When it is too late and the virus will spread.

 

Soeder is more pro-active, would be marginally better. Friedrich Merz better still. However Merkel's incompetent nepotism meant she appointed Annegrete Krampf Karrensauser as the successor, who proved even more woefully incompetent than Merkel. This after, again on Merkel's say so, the plagiarist and massively incompetent Ursula von der Leyen was promoted to head the European Comission.

 

The influence this woman has is totally in disproportion to her abilities.

[Isaanbiker]

Germany has recorded 10,999 cases of the coronavirus and 20 deaths. Bavaria, which had Germany's first cases, now has 1,692 cases and eight people there have died. Soeder has led the way with school closures and other social distancing steps and has called a state of emergency in Bavaria.

 

1,692 cases and eight people dead isn't that bad when looking at France and China.

 

   Bavaria is a fifth of Germany's area and it's good to see that at least one politician does what is needed to fight the Batwuhan- pandemic.

 

   It would be great to see a case study how the virus got to Germany in the first place.

 

 In my opinion, the best decision anybody could have done. 

 

I understand that declaring the state of emergency will cause many problems.

 

Calling retired doctors and general practitioners in is a very smart move.

 

My niece is a doctor at a hospital in Munich and I believe it's good that all hospitals are under state control. Even private people are used to fight the virus in all possible ways. 

 

This guy must be a good chess player. If Thailand would do something similar, it might be very helpful for all. Private hospitals helping ordinary people who only have the 30 baht scheme. 

 

   But would Mr. Prayuth even understand how effective they fight the virus? I have my doubts. 

 

  From : https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-and-basic-rights-what-is-the-german-state-allowed-to-do/a-52835004

 

 

Bavaria has already declared a state of emergency, the most extreme measure taken so far in the fight against the coronavirus in Germany. State Premier Markus Söder said one of the main reasons for taking this measure was to enable auxiliary personnel, the fire brigade and rescue services to be placed under single command — or at least to be brought together more easily. This is normally the responsibility of local authorities, or the individually administrative districts and cities.

Furthermore, all hospitals in Bavaria are now effectively under state control. They have been told to concentrate on fighting the coronavirus. In a declared "disaster situation” it is possible — not only in Bavaria — to draw up lists of retired doctors or general practitioners and, if necessary, require them to redeploy. Private individuals can also be obliged to help. However, as each federal state has its own civil defense law, there are differences between them in the detail.

 

   Let's hope the best, f...the rest. ( Forget)

 

 

  

Edited March 20, 2020 by Isaanbiker
There's not enough German beer on this planet!!

[Logosone]

6 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

State Premier Markus Söder said one of the main reasons for taking this measure was to enable auxiliary personnel, the fire brigade and rescue services to be placed under single command — or at least to be brought together more easily. This is normally the responsibility of local authorities, or the individually administrative districts and cities. 

A necessary thing to do given Germany's foreign imposed federal fragmentation. Too often the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing as each state does what it wants.

 

Federal leadership is virtually non-existent as state's have to run with it by themselves.

[Isaanbiker]

39 minutes ago, Caldera said:

I'll bite, what crime did she commit? Cite the specific section of the German criminal code (if you can). Poor leadership, yes. Criminal, I don't think so.

 

I quite like Mr Soeder. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't stand a chance to be nominated. Under these extraordinary circumstances, who knows!

 

Some Germans and those who should know it said that she's once a spy for the KGB.

 

I've discussed that so many times with educated folks and I believe it.

 

I've never liked her and in my opinion anybody else should do a better job than just opening the borders for people who are only causing problems.

 

  Please keep in mind that they wanted to place more than 1,000 Asylum seekers into a village with not more than 102 locals. 

 Who else is to blame than Merkel, please?

 

And the Cologne rapists were something that was so disgusting that most Germans wanted to see them go. In fact, plenty of criminel Islam fighters made it to Germany and made Terrorism much more difficult to control.

 

 

 

In early October, the district government informed Sumte’s mayor, Christian Fabel, by email that his village of 102 people just over the border in what was once Communist East Germany would take in 1,000 asylum seekers.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/world/europe/german-village-of-102-braces-for-750-asylum-seekers.html

 

 

  

[Isaanbiker]

2 minutes ago, Logosone said:

A necessary thing to do given Germany's foreign imposed federal fragmentation. Too often the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing as each state does what it wants.

 

Federal leadership is virtually non-existent as state's have to run with it by themselves.

Yep, you're right. It's always a massive problem if the right-hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

 

  But real problems start when the right-hand doesn't know what it's doing. 

 

I hope that you're not a reader and believer of Bild.