Municipal Authorities Urge Swift Adoption of New Infection Prevention Legislation
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a series of disputes between the German federal government and municipalities, centring around federal mandates and policies such as eviction moratoriums, vaccine mandates, and funding conditions tied to COVID-19 measures.
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB) has expressed concerns about plans to hand over Corona containment to the federal government through a new Infection Protection Act. Gerd Landsberg, Managing Director of DStGB, stated that this approach does not solve the current acute problem.
One of the key disputes revolves around eviction moratoriums and landlord rights. The federal government enacted eviction moratoriums to prevent mass displacement, but these have been challenged as unconstitutional by landlords. In July 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that landlords may sue the federal government for rent lost during the eviction moratorium, reopening legal debates on balancing public health and property rights.
Another contentious issue is vaccine mandates and religious exemptions. Legal challenges persist about employer and school vaccine mandates, with cases such as Kane v. City of New York currently before the Supreme Court addressing denials of religious accommodations for vaccines.
Municipalities also face disputes over federal funding tied to COVID-19 policies. Some executive actions have reportedly paused or limited funding for programs supporting communities during the pandemic, causing friction with local governments that rely on these funds.
Courts are playing a crucial role as arbiters, with ongoing Supreme Court reviews for vaccine mandate cases and appellate rulings on eviction moratorium claims seeking to clarify federal versus local authority and individual rights. Negotiations with municipalities for tailored policies balancing public health and local interests are also a common approach to resolving conflicts, especially as mandates are phased out or adapted.
Federal executive orders and memoranda are periodically revised to respond to legal rulings and political pushback from municipalities and states. However, as of August 2025, no recent sources explicitly describe new cooperative solutions beyond ongoing litigation and policy adjustments.
The federal and state governments are scheduled to discuss the further course of action in the Corona pandemic again on Monday. The need for quick action to break the third wave of Coronavirus is emphasised by Gerd Landsberg. It remains to be seen how these ongoing disputes will be resolved and what impact they will have on the future of COVID-19 containment measures in Germany.
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