It was one of the biggest challenges since World War II, and not just for the German government. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the suspension of some basic rights and lockdowns around the world. Schools, kindergartens, and many businesses were forced to close temporarily. And once vaccines finally became available in mid-2021, there was tremendous public pressure to make sure everyone was vaccinated.
Now, four years later, there is a debate underway in Germany about how to come to terms with this intense period and the political decisions that were made. Many politicians are calling for an "Enquête-Commission," a committee appointed by the Bundestag, consisting of members of parliament and experts, which would eventually present its findings publicly.
Jens Spahn, Angela Merkel's health minister during the pandemic and a senior figure in the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), knew that the pandemic would have lasting consequences when he said in the Bundestag in April 2020: "In a few months' time, we will probably have a lot to forgive each other for."
Indeed, the negative effects of the pandemic are still being felt today. Many people still suffer from the debilitating symptoms of long-COVID, and many businesses, especially small ones, never survived the lockdown. And there is almost unanimous agreement among........