This Argument Between the German Federal Government and States

 For most non-Germans, they often see German political power based more out of Berlin (at the Bundestag), than out of the sixteen German states.  

Well, for the past couple of months as Covid-19 has 'danced' around....the Bundestag (the federal side of things)...has bumped almost on a daily basis against the sixteen state governments.  In effect, the federal side of the government has been unable to direct serious action, without a lot of talking...negotiation...and lessening of actions planned.  

So in recent days...paragraph 28 of the German Constitution has been brought up.  It details how states exist, how the state Constitutions work, and the dividing point of state and federal existence.  

Yes, the federal folks want the states to sign over some authority.  And yes, the state folks aren't that keen or happy about where this is going.  Odds of change coming on this division of power?  It depends on which news group or forum chat you listen to.

Why the enthusiasm to have the federal side in charge?  You can start from February and figure Chancellor Merkel herself...has put in over 300 man-hours in state-by-state negotiation....trying to get the sixteen states to reach one central theme for the whole country.  The sixteen Premier-Presidents?  They've had to already discuss plans and mandates with their partner parties within each state.  Presently, I'd take a guess that thirty to forty man-hours of each week for the sixteen folks is consumed with just Covid-19 matters, and at least another 20 hours per week with non-Covid-19 matters which have importance as well.

If the states agree to the paragraph 28 change?  Well....you drain 'value' from the state operations.  There's no need to have that many discussions at the sixteen different capitals then.  Frankly, you are giving up state-by-state drama then.  Their significance is diminished.  

So I don't see much being accomplished here.  The states might allow a couple of words to be inserted into paragraph 28, and maybe some minor aspect of health management might revert to the federal side, but the list of details that the Merkel crowd is pushing?  I'd have doubts over this being accepted.