Spot of stockpiling Angela? German Chancellor Merkel buys four bottles of wine on supermarket trip as her government plans 820billion Euro spending spree to fight coronavirus

Angela Merkel was spotted buying four bottles of wine from a supermarket in Berlin as the coronavirus crisis grips Germany.

Germany has seen 21,000 cases and 75 deaths from the killer bug.

He shopping trip in Mitte, Berlin, follows government plans to unveil an economic rescue package worth 822 billion euros (£759.45 billion) to fund the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The package - revealed in a draft bill - would be the biggest in Europe's post-war history.

To finance the extraordinary measures ranging from partial nationalisations to credit guarantees to salary top-ups for workers forced into part-time, the government will also shed its debt averse attitude.

Merkel's government will seek permission from parliament to raise the legal limit on its annual borrowings.

Merkel's government will seek to borrow 156 billion euros (£144.13 billion) for 2020, a sum that exceeds a constitutional limit by 100 billion euros.

Faced with the coronavirus pandemic which has brought all travel to a standstill, forced employees into working shorter hours and left most shops shut, Merkel has vowed that Germany will do whatever it takes to preserve its economy.

'We will do what we can to get through this situation well, and we will see at the end of that where our budget stands,' Merkel had said last week, stressing that ending the virus crisis 'comes first'.

With public life all but shut down, the government expects 33.5 billion euros (£30.95 billion) less tax intake than previously budgeted in its 2020 accounts.

'The economy and the job market are severely impacted by the measures taken nationally and internationally to curb the pandemic,' according to the document.

'In the current situation, the duration of the pandemic and the measures tied to it are not predictable.'

To ensure that businesses do not go under, the government is earmarking 400 billion euros (£369.56 billion) to underwrite their debt or offer recapitalisation that could lead to partial state takeovers, according to the draft bill.

The plan is to be debated by the cabinet on Monday before it is put before parliament later in the week.

Operators in the tourism and service industries are among likely candidates for state help, as they count among those hardest hit by the pandemic which has put much of Europe in lockdown.

Tourism and hotel group TUI has said it was applying for state aid to keep it afloat, as it suspended the 'majority' of its operations over the virus.

German airline giant Lufthansa meanwhile has been forced to scrap most of its flights in coming weeks as several countries including the United States ban travellers from Europe.

Germany's so-called 'debt brake' was written into its constitution in 2009, and limits a federal budget deficit to 0.35 percent of GDP.

The limit can be exceeded only in emergencies, for instance in natural disasters or other extraordinary situations that significantly impact the country's finances.

Beyond the 'debt brake', keeping the budget of Europe's biggest economy balanced is a key campaign promise of Merkel's party.

The self-imposed dogma of maintaining a 'black zero' has been a constant source of friction with other European countries, including France, which argues that Germany should invest more to help the eurozone bolster its economy.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8138325/German-Chancellor-Merkel-buys-FOUR-bottles-wine-supermarket-trip.html

Nigerians would have gathered around her and be clapping.

Experts in celebrating political office holder.

Na German chancellor be dis o.
Can Buhari do this by himself? Africans love people who serve them like slaves

€820billion. That's almost the same amount US president is asking his country law makers to approve ($1trillion). Some parts of this money will be paid to US and German citizens that were force to isolate themselves at home because of the spread of corona virus. Canada, France, Spain, England are also doing the same. This are country that have their citizens at heart and are thinking deep into the future. What my beloved country did for it citizens during this period of corona virus was to reduce fuel price from N145 to N125. Difference of N20, how can N20 impact on the life of it citizens during this critical period.

Businesses are shutting down in order to contain this virus, shopping malls, Night clubs, bars, events centers and any social gathering that exceed 50 people.

Realadey:
Na German chancellor be dis o.
Can Buhari do this by himself? Africans love people who serve them like slaves

bihari fire

Nigerian leaders will be like, going to shop for groceries is for the poor. I can't be seen doing it.
Meanwhile shithole country is still a tenth world country. Personal shoppers is now a job description in Nigeria.

Those people all around her are security operatives

Realadey:
Na German chancellor be dis o.
Can Buhari do this by himself? Africans love people who serve them like slaves

Have you seen your dis-honourables, senators, council chairmen, commissioners or governor do this? Your pastors would even expect you to carry his bible for him.

What a shame!!! Misplacement of values...

The mama of europe.

Hmmmmmmm.
One nigeria is a mistake.

MrPrsdent:

Those people all around her are security operatives

Security operatives dey outside