Europe's airlines are demanding more clearly than ever that the entry and quarantine regulations should be standardized under the so-called Green Passport. The EU Commission wants to leave it to the nation states whether and in what form the Green Passport is recognized at all.

The fact that an “emergency brake” is to be installed recently caused displeasure. This means that under certain conditions, which every EU member can do together, quarantine and tests can also be required of those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. The word “emergency brake” alone causes uncertainty in Germany, because Health Minister Jens Spahn and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (both CDU) have enforced their lockdowns and their “federal emergency brake” under alleged false pretenses.

The fact that trust in politics, but also in the health sector, has been damaged in the long term, is shown by the special blossoms that the pandemic has produced. For example, according to a report by the Federal Court of Auditors, hospital operators in Germany reported completely incorrect figures on the occupancy of their intensive care beds in order to benefit from so-called compensation payments. The result: At no point in time was the health system faced with overloading the intensive care units, because they were artificially or virtually overcrowded in order to get a lot of money from the state. Not a conspiracy theory, but a statement by the Federal Audit Office.

White coats, politicians and dubious businessmen

Doctors actually enjoy a high reputation, but some turned out to be black sheep and shamelessly exploited the corona pandemic in order to be able to do “big business”. In this context, the shooting of the birds may have taken place in Tyrol, where even a new mutation was freely invented. Regardless of whether it was about rapid tests, masks, PCR tests, politicians partly earned money and white coats and allegedly corrupt politicians filled their pockets. In Germany, by the way, the pharmacists were also able to negotiate perfectly: the state paid six euros for each grinding mask, which was just declared a miracle cure against the corona virus.

In Austria, Chinese grinding masks were relabeled and advertised as Made in Austria. Here, too, there were at least questionable connections, acquaintances, and relatives or brotherhoods that extended to the Federal Chancellery. Does an FFP2 mask, which was a cheap product in the hardware store before the corona pandemic and was sold as a grinding mask, actually protect against Covid-19 infection? Nobody really knows, because depending on the client of the study, the results are completely different. The fact is, however, that Austria is the only EU country that has introduced a full FFP2 obligation, while face shields can be used in other countries. So there remains the at least not unfounded aftertaste that a few have made a lot of money.

Incidences are falling as if by magic - again

Almost all government politicians attribute the recent seven-day incidences across Europe as if by magic to the progress made in vaccination. But what was the previous year? Just in time for the start of the main holiday travel season, the numbers dropped everywhere and, by the way, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) was the first to announce the “good news”. Shortly afterwards, almost all other EU countries followed suit, and even countries like Italy and Spain, which had been severely affected by Corona just a few weeks earlier, were suddenly “swept clean”.

Although most states initially did not require any evidence of negative PCR tests, the stay-home slogans were heard last year. There was very little ice and those who were abroad were surprised by their home countries, sometimes overnight, that they should go into quarantine on return. For example, because there were what felt like five corona cases on Mallorca or Croatia. This “belittling” is based on the fact that in autumn and winter the numbers really shot through the roof and, for example, in Germany they were only checked when it really didn't matter anyway. Austria used the armed forces to check the documents at the borders, but on land routes it was handled rather laxly. And anyway, anyone who has dealt with the entry regulations for a few minutes found an exception under which one could slip.

The fear of the aviation and tourism industry that under the guise of an “emergency brake” a new edition could follow the chaos of the previous year is by no means unjustified. A look at the United Kingdom shows that, despite previous assurances, the decision-makers are falling back into old patterns and introducing quarantine overnight. The EU Commission allows such a procedure under the designation “emergency brake”.

The USA and Asia benefit from coordinated action

Why is the US and parts of Asia doing so much better? Because they are united states or because one has agreed with the neighbors and proceeds in a coordinated manner. In the European Union, every government cooked and cooks its own soup. The industry's demand that uniform rules for travel, entry into the destination country and re-entry into the home country are finally created is absolutely justified. It is overdue for freedom to travel to be restored, at least in the Schengen area. The citizens are obviously fed up with “Stay Home” slogans and are going through everything (masks, tests, vaccinations, etc.) in order to be able to fly back to the beach. Politicians should take into account this willingness of the population that the majority of people who have booked their summer holidays abroad voluntarily take vaccinations and tests as part of Safe Travel. However, it still looks as if national interests, that is to say “we have eaten wisdom with a spoon and know it better than the other EU governments”, are viewed as a greater good than freedom of travel.

It is not the time to demand travel bans on private hobby sites and thus offend the entire industry, but rather to look into the future based on facts. But it is also clear that the entire world must learn to live with the corona virus. This also means that governments in Europe need to build up more intensive capacities. Unfortunately, even in the previous year, for example, the opposite was the case in Austria and Germany. If politics does not use the time until autumn, it will inevitably continue with lockdowns and the like. An entirely possible alternative scenario: For the public, all positive cases are then only unvaccinated and they are then to blame because they did not take advantage of the offer. But what about those who need a refresher before then? Unfortunately, due to the way things have gone so far, it remains to be feared that, as in the previous year, there will be a kind of “breather” over midsummer and in autumn it will continue as chaotic and uncoordinated as before.