Europe debates whether to lift lockdown for Christmas

Chocolate santas with facemasks on sale in Germany

Credit: KAI PFAFFENBACH/REUTERS

Governments across Europe are debating whether to lift coronavirus lockdowns so people can celebrate Christmas.

Germany is set to ease travel and contact restrictions for a week from December 21 so families can meet, according to leaked details of government talks.

But proposals to limit the number of people allowed at a family Christmas have been described as “nonsensical” and “inhumane”. And Germans may have to see in the New Year without fireworks, amid calls for them to be banned to prevent crowds gathering on the streets.

Angela Merkel and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states are set to meet to agree new measures on Wednesday. They are expected to extend the current “lockdown lite” until December 20 but announce lighter restrictions over the Christmas period. Some states have called for hotels to be allowed to reopen so people can visit loved ones without crowding under one roof.

But proposals to limit Christmas gatherings to five people have proved controversial. Children under the age of 14 will not count towards the limit.

Christmas lights in lockdown Paris

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“It’s none of the government’s business how I celebrate Christmas with my family," Friedrich Merz, one of the candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor next year, said at the weekend. 

Several states are opposing calls to ban fireworks. German cities traditionally come to a standstill on January 31 as people set off fireworks in the streets.

In France, there is relative optimism after the government let it be known that small shops will be able to re-open around December 1.

President Emmanuel Macron is to detail a staggered, three-phase plan to lift lockdown on Tuesday. "Nothing is worse than uncertainty and the sense of dreariness without end," he told Le Journal du Dimanche.

Phase one could reportedly see shops re-open in time for Black Friday on December 4. The French will continue to have to fill out forms to go out and travel restrictions remain in place for now.  

Bars and restaurants will remain shut. However, they could re-open as part of a second phase late December in time for the Christmas holidays. The government is still undecided about if or when to re-open ski resorts and big sports venues and whether to relax home-working rules.

A shop assitant puts up Christmas decorations in Rome

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In Italy, taking to the ski slopes and family dinners are likely to be prohibited this Christmas. The government is deliberating what restrictions will be in place once the present batch of measures expires in early December. It wants to dissuade Italians from getting together with large numbers of friends and family for Christmas celebrations.

“It will be a sober Christmas,” said Roberto Speranza, the health minister. “We are in a better position compared to March but that doesn’t mean we can tackle another big flare-up.”

Spain is yet to announce plans for Christmas, but Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, hinted on Sunday that festivities will be severely restricted. Christmas “is going to be different from what we have known before”, he said."This year we are going to have to keep our distance from loved ones instead of embracing them."

Christmas lights in Madrid

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The Spanish health ministry is working with regional governments on a plan for a “different but safe” Christmas, after Mr Sánchez  stressed: “The priority has to be avoiding a third wave”.

Belgium is expected to outline its plans for the Christmas period on Friday. The country is in lockdown with all non-essential shops closed. That has heaped huge pressure on the postal service, which has announced it can no longer deliver all packages to homes, forcing people to collect them from pick-up points.

In the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, the prime minister, has promised more information on coronavirus rules for Christmas on December 8. But he warned that with more than 6,000 new cases reported on Saturday it might not be possible to allow larger family gatherings.