Before Angela Merkel visits Joe Biden, she meets Mrs. Gudrun Born, 90 years old, seven grandchildren. The lady from Frankfurt sits in front of her screen and reports to the Chancellor that, despite her eventful life, such a pandemic, being cut off, was far from her imagination.
Given her age, Merkel wants to know whether there was a lot of talk in her family about the Spanish flu, which has cost millions of lives. Ms. Born is a little puzzled: “No, the Spanish flu didn’t play a role.”
Before going on her last visit to the USA as Chancellor, Merkel invited to an unusual citizens’ dialogue, a virtual multi-generational conversation.
What is Gudrun Born saying for politics? “You should finally learn to sift through the nursing thicket,” says Born, and do something about the financial burdens on family carers. “Poverty through care has to be eliminated,” says Born. Merkel: “A clear mission.”
A home resident from Weimar reports how difficult it was to separate from her husband. They have been married for over 60 years, but he has to be looked after intensively in another building of the facility. The idea of the balcony concerts on Thursday was born, when she could see it in the pandemic: “For us Thursday was now Sunday.”
A pensioner reports how he came to the hospital with pneumonia and contracted corona there. There are fates that are symptomatic of this time.
Merkel’s A&O topic
But it is also a lot about projects of togetherness, such as helping young people to buy things for seniors. And Merkel states that those who have clear perspectives, goals, friends have gotten through time better.
“Those who need help the most are very quiet.” They are also not here with the selected participants. She emphasizes that when everything is over, you have to look very carefully, starting with schoolchildren, so that the consequential damage caused by the pandemic does not get out of sight.
A new student from the Leibniz University in Hanover reports: “I’ve been studying for a year and haven’t been to the university once.” In a few days she will meet a fellow student in the library for the first time.
Merkel then comes to the point that is most important to her, in order to prevent another lockdown. The vaccination and worries about a too low vaccination quota in the next few weeks. Almost all of the young participants asked: What about vaccination? The first vaccination has already been given. Merkel: “Nice. So if you tell your buddies that and discuss it with your fellow students, you are doing something good. “
“Did you drum on the door?”
Everyone would have complained. “In the beginning we had too little vaccine.” Now there is more than enough. And education is important, false claims that you can no longer get pregnant after a vaccination, for example, should be countered. A student who has just graduated from high school also affirmed the Chancellor’s vaccination question. “If I get vaccinated, it will also be of benefit to others,” she says. Merkel nodded violently.
She then wants to know what she did in the lockdown winter, did she drum on the door or sang a song? No, especially sat in front of the screen.
Merkel seems tired at times, but above all she tries to spread confidence, despite the Delta worries. “Lots of people get vaccinated, that’s the most important thing.”
Merkel had previously held such conversations with cultural workers, families with children, police officers, volunteer citizens and employees of helplines and crisis hotlines, among others.
Merkel: Do not give the virus any food
When asked what gave her confidence, Merkel emphasized that so many took part in the measures. “We are clever beings and have achieved a lot in human history.”
So you got to know the virus quickly, which also gave her confidence. “We quickly knew what you were allowed to do and what not.” In addition, she quickly noticed that so many people were wearing masks and keeping their distance and volunteering.
And that vaccines that really make the difference would have been available so quickly. Then it goes on, the plane to Washington is waiting. “If you are already in bed and sleeping, then I will arrive in Washington,” says Merkel as she parted.
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
