One thing that COVID has been efficient at is trying to drive travel bloggers out of business. I have to admit that the pickings have been pretty slim since the lockdown has started. COVID has made me cancel one trip and postpone another. 

Now, Germany, of course, has done an exemplary job when it comes to preventing the spread of the virus. You certainly can't please everyone when it comes down to lockdown measures, but in a country with 80 million-plus people, there is bound to be some grumbling. Lufthansa, for example, has relied heavily on federal bailouts to survive. Restaurants are in it neck-deep, and many have gone out of business. A lot of restaurants in the Frankfurt region have relied on takeout or deliveries to survive.

Then came Germany's own version of the belly flop during the vaccination rollout. Not enough vaccines were ordered, the venues were not chosen wisely, and, last but not least, came the AstraZeneca disaster. The Paul Ehrlich Institut just last week recommended a halt to AstraZeneca vaccines after some serious murmuring in the medical community pertaining to its efficiency. This was overruled by the European Medical Commission in Amsterdam only days later, so that the vaccine logistics were restored. The only problem I see now is that AstraZeneca now has a huge target on its brand, with many Germans vowing to ride the storm out until they can receive the vaccination they prefer. Ouch, long before the needle penetrates the skin. That can't be good for AstraZeneca's reputation or stock price.

After all is said and done, there is still too much rubble to pick up. The Conservative government took a huge hit, including popular Health Minister Jens Spahn. In two state elections in Rheinland Pfalz and Baden Württemberg, the Christian Democratic Union was crushed, by the Social Democrats in the former, and by the Green Party in Stuttgart, or the latter. How Baden Württemberg, a reliable conservative stronghold for so many years, could go green so solidly, must be one of the main riddles peppering the CDU. And if these two states are any indication, there might be more trouble on the horizon. 

Although the Germans are COVID tired, the Conservatives cling to their lockdown policy, stating that anything is preferable to being COVID dead, even if it means losing their majority in Berlin come September and the federal elections. In Berlin, the Conservatives are being peppered from within their own coalition and from the opposition, whether it's the Libertarians, Greens or far-right AfD party. The result is an approval rating of 22% at the polls. If the Conservatives gain 22% of the election this September, they will make a fine fraction in the Bundestag...only it's pretty much a given that they won't rule at 22%, unless they're part of a majority coalition, which seems very unlikely. 

A third Corona wave is being predicted, and the government does not believe vaccinations will be available for most until May. And if it goes beyond that, the CDU can plan for the opposition in Berlin..and a changing of the guard that the younger generation in Germany is gleefully anticipating.