Germany's Chancellor Merkel delivered a passionate speech to the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) today, Wednesday, calling for a lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus (known also as COVID-19) in the country.
Merkel came under fire as the far-right opposition criticized her fiercely as she spent 15 years in office. However, she has called for much tougher restrictions on public life going into Christmas.
Merkel came out explicitly in favor of the recommendations that Germany's National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, released on Tuesday.
The German experts call for an end to required school attendance starting Dec. 14, an extended Christmas school break, a full closure of all but essential businesses starting December 24 and working from home to the fullest extent possible.
Merkel said she opposed opening hotels so families could meet over the Christmas and New Year's holidays and that she agreed with recommendations to close shops after Christmas until January 10.
German scientific advisory body calls for 'hard lockdown."
The Chancellor made her remarks in the Bundestag Wednesday morning as part of the debate over the government’s 2021 budget debate. These debates are traditionally an opportunity to take stock of government performance over the previous year, according to DW.
The Chancellor's planned retirement next year after 15 years in power means this was her final budget debate.
Later on Wednesday, Germany's next federal election date was set for September 26, 2021.
She pushed back against criticism over her government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, arguing the country was going through an "exceptional situation."
Germany is struggling to cope with the pandemic.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public disease health authority, on Wednesday announced a record daily death toll in Germany of 590 people bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 19,932 with more than 1.2 million infections.
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