Not a single leader in Europe approaches the Christmas season with confidence. Chanceries fear the idea of reproducing the mistakes of the summer: too rapid loosening of restrictions. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, is no exception. The former doctor is on the verge of putting on her white coat when she addresses MEPs: “A too rapid and excessive easing of measures becomes a risk for a third wave after Christmas. ”In return for this, European officials are still allowed to join their families in the EU.
Giuseppe Conte, in Italy, shares the anguish of the President of the Commission: “The Christmas season requires ad hoc measures. Otherwise there is a risk of repeating August 15th and we cannot afford it. If Conte could do without Christmas, he would be delighted! The President of the Italian Council would also like the EU countries to coordinate not to open ski resorts during the winter holidays. Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex are on the same wavelength and consider the stations as “Covid nests”. Nevertheless, Austrian stations are hoping for an opening on December 18. The date is not official. It is only mentioned as a realistic goal by Michaela Reitterer, President of the Austrian Hotel Association (ÖHV). For the time being, Austrian Chancellor Kurz is not announcing anything and should speak next week, before the date of Austrian deconfinement set for December 6. The circulation of the virus in Austria remains one of the most important in Europe with an incidence rate of 1,030 cases per 100,000 people, with Luxembourg (1,284).
10 people maximum around the log in Germany
Switzerland is an exception in the Alps. Ten ski resorts are already open. The Swiss Minister of Health, Alain Berset, would have preferred that his neighbors coordinate to avoid this distortion of competition. The economic stakes are too high for the Confederation, which cannot renounce white gold. To cope with the lack of foreign tourists, the Swiss authorities call on the Swiss to give priority to Christmas holidays in Switzerland, in the mountains …
As usual, Germany has already set its standards for Christmas: the Länder have pleaded for a limit to 10 people from several families around the log and for the New Year. Children under 14 would not be taken into account. count towards this quota. The Länder recommend that families quarantine participants before and after these holidays… In the United Kingdom, the gauge is a little different: 3 different families will be able to meet but only for 5 consecutive days, between 23 and 27 December. The place of the family reunion is free on the territory of the United Kingdom. Of course, we can always have fun with the different sizes imposed on Christmas parties. Why 10? Why 5 days, and not 4 or 6? Why 3 different families? The United Kingdom left the EU for its too finicky standards – Johnson didn’t care for a long time – and realizes that there is no collective life without common rules, even absurd ones …
The Netherlands worried
In the Netherlands, the slowdown in the epidemic is not enough in the eyes of the government Mark Rutte, which is considering other more drastic measures before the Christmas holidays. “If the Dutch want to celebrate Christmas together, with less restrictive rules, we will really have to concentrate all our efforts on the coming week”, warned the Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge. Mark Rutte will book his listings on December 8. For now, the Dutch have restricted social contact to three guests per household.
In Spain, it was a leak of a government report that allowed the media to announce that family reunions would be limited to 6 people on Christmas and that a curfew would be set at 1 a.m. for the New Year. The Sanchez government does not have quite the hand and must refer it to the autonomous regions, which did not appreciate that the government proposal is found in the newspapers. The government hastened to say that nothing had been decided and that it hoped to find an agreement with the regions … Each region puts forward its own proposals during a meeting to be held on Wednesday 25 November.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
