German Chancellor Merkel remains skeptical. And she is not alone in this. In Germany, Italy and France they prefer to see a single line drawn in the European field. Merkel: “We are going to work in Brussels to close all ski areas. Unfortunately, it does not look like that will work now, if you get to the Austrian statements, but we are going to try.”
Closed borders
With a European decision, the countries hope to prevent winter sports enthusiasts from traveling to places where the slopes are still open. Prime Minister Markus Söder of the German state of Bavaria calls on all countries to enjoy winter sports equally on hold “That would be a fine example of European solidarity,” he told the newspaper image.
Should the Austrians stick to their position, Italy will even consider closing the borders to avoid “spending the holiday money in Austria and then importing the virus and we’re stuck”. Söder also warns Germans who plan a day trip to Austria that they must be quarantined for ten days when they return.
Incidentally, the EU cannot decide to ban winter sports, also writes the Austrian EU representative Martin Selmayr. A roll call can be made on a common line, but the ski lifts cannot be stopped by Brussels. That remains a matter for national governments.
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