Angela Merkel forced into retreat on snap Easter lockdown

The chancellor had come under fire for the snap decision to designate Maundy Thursday and Easter Saturday days of rest.

Angela Merkel takes questions in the Bundestag on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

Chancellor Angela Merkel has apologised to German voters as she abandoned plans to impose a five-day Easter lockdown after a backlash from businesses, her own party and the public.

The chancellor had come under heavy fire for this week’s snap decision to designate Maundy Thursday and Easter Saturday additional “days of rest” on which public life would largely grind to a halt.

Critics, including several politicians from Mrs Merkel’s ­centre-right bloc, had dismissed the measure as unworkable and poorly thought through.

It was left unclear whether people would be expected to work, whether they would be paid and how shops would obtain deliveries of perishable items such as meat and vege­tables. A poll found that 57 per cent of Germans were confused by the new rules.

Announcing the abrupt about-turn on Wednesday, Mrs Merkel took personal responsibility for what she said was a ­mistake.

“Of course I know this whole process has set off ­additional uncertainty,” she said.

“I regret that profoundly and I ask all citizens for forgiveness.”

There were signs that a large proportion of Germans were not taking up the offer of vaccination. Of the one million Berliners invited to receive the jab, only 360,000 have done so, according to Der Tagesspiegel.

Mrs Merkel has been urged to allow parliament to take charge of the pandemic restrictions, which are at present determined through unwieldy negotiations between the federal government and Germany’s 16 states.

The abortive Easter lockdown plan was the result of one of these summits, which lasted for 15 hours and ended at 3am on Tuesday.

The Times