The federal government has rejected the call for additional meetings among the state premiers (Ministerpräsidenten-Konferenzen) as part of the ongoing effort to manage the current crisis. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told the dts news agency on Monday that the premiers already convene frequently enough. He added that “direct discussion is the proper way to address complaints, not a television talk show”.
Kornelius’s statement was a response to a public criticism made by Manuela Schwesig, the Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (SPD). During an appearance on the ARD show “Caren Miosga” on Sunday evening, Schwesig sharply criticized the federal government’s attempt to push through a 1,000-Euro “relief premium” without consulting the individual states.
Schwesig told the program that the action was “unprofessional” and represented a failure of cooperation in Germany. She stated that when dealing with such large-scale matters, decision-making cannot be limited to just three people, suggesting that a full Minister-President conference, alongside input from social partners, should have been involved.