Corona: austria announces mandatory vaccination and lockdown

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Until the very last moment, the Austrian government had protested that there would be neither – but now they are coming: lockdown and compulsory vaccination for all. After the Vatican City State, Austria is the second country in Europe that prescribes vaccination for all its citizens. Faced with a massive fourth Corona wave, the country goes into Monday's Lockdown.

The situation is dramatic: The Seven-day incidence is 990 with exponential growth at the same time, in intensive care units especially in Salzburg (incidence: 1740) it is getting scarce. There now the triage is prepared. So the lockdown is now to break this fourth wave. For vaccinated and recovered people it should be no later than 13. December end, announced Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (oVP) on Friday. After ten days, the data would be reviewed. But for the unvaccinated, the lockdown will continue in any case, they said.

Austria introduces compulsory vaccination nationwide

From Monday, the Corona rules known from previous output restrictions will apply. The home may be left only for compelling reasons (way to work, doctor's appointment, shopping in the supermarket and stay outdoors for recreation).

The Mandatory vaccination Should apply from February and, according to the government, ensure that there will be no fifth wave. Legal experts believe that the legal requirements for such legislation are in place. Verfangsrechtler Heinz Mayer says: "The legal situation is very clear in the current situation: the pandemic situation is according to expert opinion dramatic and the vaccination obligation is suitable to master this dramatic situation."From a purely legal point of view, there must be proportionality, which is the case. Open is, however, the design. About how a refusal is to be punished.

Lockdown in Austria: Criticism from the media

Meanwhile, the Austrian media are taking the government to task. The newspaper "Die Presse" speaks of State failure, Because the government failed to act in a timely manner. Health Minister Wolfgang Muckstein (Greens) publicly apologized in Friday's press conference. Yet it was he who had been calling for tough measures for everyone for some time – but had failed in doing so until the very end because of the coalition partner oVP. The right-wing FPo raised serious accusations. Austria is now on the way to a "dictatorship," according to FPo leaderHerbert Kickl, who himself has Corona disease. He called on people to protest in Vienna on Saturday.

Physician Were relieved about the lockdown. The daily record values in the infection numbers would be reflected only delayed in the normal and intensive care units. "It really is high time for a full stop," says the Austrian Society for Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine.

Austria: Lockdown previously applied only to the unvaccinated

The measures taken so far included a 3G rule At work. Workers must prove they are vaccinated, recovered or tested. On 8. November was followed by the 2G rule for events, restaurants and tourism, which barred unvaccinated people from entering wide areas during their leisure time. On Monday, even tougher exit restrictions for the unvaccinated went into effect.

Previously, the restrictions in the neighboring country had mostly affected people without the Corona vaccination. However, the resolutions that have now been announced will now also affect Vaccinated, because the measures taken so far can't break the wave.

Austria: Heavy blow for tourism

A lockdown would affect that Christmas business extremely, said the managing director of the trade association, Rainer Will. Some of the stores are in existential danger, it said. "The industry is facing revenue losses of about 2.7 billion euros."Finance Minister Gernot Blumel held out the prospect of further economic aid for particularly hard-hit sectors such as trade and tourism.

For the Tourism the development just before the planned start of the winter season is once again a severe setback. In addition to the loss of revenue, it would also mean considerable damage to the company's image, said Susanne Kraus-Winkler of the Professional Association of the Hotel Industry in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKo).

Guests came not only for the beautiful scenery, but also for the feeling of safety, he said. "Safety is the new currency in tourism". The Lockdown itself is alternativlos. "We have to go along with this now," Kraus-Winkler said. The industry is betting on a takeoff in the second half of the season, starting in mid-January. "We hope that something can still be saved," said the expert.

That Fast Food is not necessarily healthy as a rule, it is commonly known. Sometimes, apparently, it takes a little longer to understand this in an all-encompassing way – especially if you're part of the industry yourself. 13 years has Harald Sukar Among other things, as executive director of McDonald's Austria worked. And now – even if he does not call it so himself – a Settle published.

In which book "The Fast Food Trap" he reports on his experiences with the fast food company, but also about the industry and the impact on health in general. Tenor: All this is not good at all – actually even worse than expected.

His drastic appeal at the beginning of the book: "Don't go there! Don't go to McDonald's. Not to Burger King. Not to the other fast food giants. Especially not with your children. Not even for once."

Ex-mcdonald's manager: fast food is 'child abuse'

These are the ten most important rules for healthy eating

McDonald's criticism: nothing in boulette, which belongs to healthy food

Sukar tells "Der Spiegel" that when he first entered the world of fast food, he knew that burgers and fries make you fat. However, the company lived by the philosophy that it was the quantity that mattered. "Today I know that in a burger boulette is nothing in it, which belongs to a healthy diet."

In the book he even goes so far as to call fast food child abuse. He was inspired by a British politician who chose that word, he reports in the interview with Hamburg magazine. Anyone who once took their offspring to McDonald's and Co. goes, must reckon with the fact that the always and always wants to.

Ex-chief: One meal covers sugar needs of almost five days

To children, fat and sugar seemed like intoxicants. "A meal of Big Mac, medium portion of fries, 0.4 liter of Coke and ice cream for dessert contains 119 grams of sugar, not including ketchup. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum of 25 grams per day for children and adolescents," Sukar says. "With just one meal, a child has covered the sugar needs of almost five days. This can not be healthy."

That nutrients are viewable and calories would be printed on packaging doesn't help anyone, he said – consumers shouldn't have to seek out that information. "And even when they find them, they often can do little with them, they are after all no nutrition experts."

Accordingly, he expressly demanded a license plate requirement, such as a traffic light. And he is very much in favor of a sugar tax – because it is the low-income people who are on the hook every day. Nestle has introduced a traffic light – but nutrition minister Klockner is taking her time with it, which is causing fierce criticism. An animal welfare label is to be introduced – which is also controversial.

Money is made with chips and drinks – with this trick

In addition, Sukar reports in the "Spiegel" interview about how McDonald's earns money – mainly with French fries and drinks. So the large size of the drinks was also introduced at some point only so that people would choose the "medium" option. "And just like that, we had brought the sugar bomb to customers."

He himself harbors no ill will toward his former employer, considers McDonalds an incredibly efficient company, but one that could use that efficiency to do good – "providing healthy food," for example.

The book by Harald Sukar, "The Fast Food Trap: How McDonald's and Co. earn billions at the expense of our health", is published by edition a, has 256 pages and costs 22 euros – hardly more than two large menus at the former employer.

– When it takes longer: A woman attacked a McDonald's employee for long wait time. In the fight for customers, the company launched a vegan burger. Burger King is also testing a vegan Whopper.

– Unhealthy eating also goes well in restaurants: Many children's meals are unhealthier than McDonald's, a study found. The Minister Klockner then wanted to work on improving the offer. (ses)

The AfD is holding its party conference in Dresden
The ie is the election program for the federal elections in the fall and the top candidates for it
Almost 600 delegates are on site
A clear majority is in favor of Germany leaving the EU
Read here about the mood at the party conference and who is arguing with whom

"Germany. But normal" is the slogan with which the AfD enters the 2021 Bundestag elections. Normal? What does normal mean here?? That the AfD Even eight years after its founding, the European Commission is still struggling with this ie Federal Party Congress clearly demonstrated in Dresden.

The demand for a Germany's exit from the European Union. After a heated debate, this was accepted by a clear majority of the nearly 600 delegates – and anchored in the draft for an election program. The draft election program now states, "We consider it necessary for Germany to withdraw from the European Union and to establish a new European economic and interest community."In the main proposal for the program, however, withdrawal was only listed as an option. Meuthen had vehemently campaigned for rejection of the amendment.

Top duo is still unknown – but there are hot candidates

The election of a top duo, The date with which the party is to enter the Bundestag election campaign has been postponed – even though some thought the timing for the freestyle was ideal. AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla is considered one of the most promising candidates. He could be joined by Hessian AfD politician Joana Cotar. Bundestag faction leader Alice Weidel had already announced that she would not stand again as a top candidate.

Controversy also revealed itself elsewhere. A motion to put the party chairmen Jorg Meuthen The idea of prematurely voting out Meuthen does not make it onto the agenda. The party executive committee, in which Meuthen has the majority of members behind him, nevertheless comes under heavy fire on Saturday.

Chrupalla wedges against Meuthen

While Meuthen focuses on the election campaign in his opening speech, the co-chairman shares Tino Chrupalla from. He criticizes Meuthen for his incendiary speech at the federal party conference last November. Meuthen had called in Kalkar, North Rhine-Westphalia, to renounce crass positions and riotous appearance. In March, an appearance by Meuthen on "Markus Lanz" made headlines.

A party leader is also allowed to express his thoughts publicly, Chrupalla says, but "certain things should be discussed internally and not in public". While Meuthen speaks of "currents" in the party, Chrupalla calls for "an end to camp thinking!"Referring to Meuthen, he said that the demands made by the latter Discipline applies to all.

Top candidacy remains unclear

The party congress decided to discuss the question of Bundestag top candidacy not to be resolved on the spot in Dresden. It will thus be decided as sought by Meuthen by member vote. Seven state associations, including all five eastern associations, had originally sought clarification at the party convention. Decided there now only that the AfD should again enter the race with two candidates. 2017 formed Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland, today's Bundestag parliamentary group leader, the top duo.

Weidel reportedly decided on Saturday morning, ahead of this party conference decision, not to run as a possible top candidate at the party conference. Whether she will enter the race in a membership referendum initially remained open. As point candidate Chrupalla is considered set.

Party congress calls for end to lockdown

There is also the question of how seriously to take the threat of the Coronavirus should take, is highly controversial in the AfD. On the podium, a member of the federal executive committee wants to welcome honorary chairman Alexander Gauland with a handshake. But the waves off. Down in the hall, too, not everyone is so careful about distance and mask, which is why the assembly management feels compelled to remind everyone of the hygiene rules. The Dresden office for order controlled the adherence to the editions and with disregard Consequences announced.

With a large majority, the party congress passed a Corona resolution. In it, the AfD calls for an end to the lockdown, saying the ie of infection control should be left to "responsible citizens". Those in power are accused of a "policy of fear. "Even indirect" coercion of vaccinations, but also Corona tests, would be rejected.

Hocke accuses party executive of power games

The Thuringian AfD state chairman Bjorn Hocke The chairman of the party takes to the microphone more often than at previous federal party conferences. He accuses the Federal Executive Board of having removed Roland Hartwig, a member of the Bundestag, as head of a working group dealing with interception protection "for power-political reasons". In doing so, Hartwig had done a "great job" in this role.

The working group had been founded in September 2018. It has a mandate to deal with the ie of "possible observation by state offices or the Federal Office for the Protection of Interception". At the time, it was said that their task would be to prepare counter-strategies, both legal and argumentative.

In December, at Meuthen's request, the party leadership had elected Knuth Meyer-Soltau, a lawyer from North Rhine-Westphalia, as the new head of the group. Chrupalla voted against Hartwig's replacement. In the meantime, some state associations of the AfD have already landed on the radar of the interceptors. The "wing" founded by Hocke in 2015, which has since been formally dissolved, is classified as a right-wing extremist endeavor by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Hartwig considers this unjustified.

The fact that a slim majority of the 560 or so present eventually Delegates Some observers see the fact that Hocke's so-called "social-patriotic wing" is in favor of discussing Hartwig's personnel at the party conference as an indication that Hocke's supporters are now able to organize majorities within the party.

There is one thing on which there is agreement

There is also a fierce dispute because the federal executive probably recently prevented the admission of several new members in Saxony-Anhalt. About what AfD prospects since were rejected, can be only conjectured. The criticism of the party executive committee came, however, also in this case from supporters of the far-right wing.

Many speakers agree that disunity of the AfD in the Election campaign can only do harm. Therefore, like Saxony's AfD leader Jorg Urban, they advocate keeping inner-party conflicts under wraps. "Let us convey a signal of unity and departure from Dresden," Urban calls to the delegates almost imploringly. In some party conference speeches, however, hidden side-swipes can be seen, which give the impression that after the election there will probably be an internal settlement of accounts. At the latest with the planned new election of the federal executive committee at the end of November.

In front of the door waits the counter-demo

Outside the door, about 150 demonstrators make it loudly clear what they want from the party AfD altogether hold – with chants and posters. On the way from the parking lot to the exhibition hall, the delegates have to pass directly by the crowd. It's like running a little verbal gauntlet. Rosa von Striesen, spokeswoman for a protest alliance of several initiatives, considers the slogan of the AfD election campaign "Deutschland. But normal" for an ideological revelation oath of the party. This is "an attempt to further normalize hate and agitation," she says.

Austria introduces compulsory vaccination nationwide

Lockdown in Austria: Criticism from the media

Austria: Lockdown previously applied only to the unvaccinated

Austria: Heavy blow for tourism

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