Angela Merkel admitted that she had made a mistake after criticism from senior politiciansAngela Merkel apologised to German voters this morning as she abandoned plans to impose a stringent five-day Easter lockdown following a backlash from businesses and the public. The chancellor had come under heavy fire for this week’s snap decision to designate Maundy Thursday and Easter Saturday as additional “days of rest” on which public life would largely grind to a halt. SponsoredCritics, including several prominent politicians from 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.

Source: The Times March 24, 2021 12:47 UTC