This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is making good on a veiled threat she issued two weeks ago to centralize pandemic management.

Amid growing calls for Merkel to take control of the situation and bypass the country's 16 state leaders, Germany's parliament is expected to pass a measure this month that will allow her finally to take charge of the country's COVID-19 response.

Hospitals in Germany warn they're about to run out of intensive care beds, even as state leaders continue to relax coronavirus restrictions.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a news conference on March 30 after a virtual meeting with federal state governors at the chancellery in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a news conference on March 30 after a virtual meeting with federal state governors at the chancellery in Berlin.

While the pandemic has debunked the myth about German efficiency, the same cannot be said of another cliché — the nation's love of red tape.

Germany's system of federalism means she has little say in the country's vaccination and lockdown strategies, of which there are no fewer than 16 — one for each German state

Amann argues, though, it's high time that Merkel — who leaves office this fall — used her considerable political capital to take charge, rather than simply advising and negotiating pandemic guidelines with the 16 state premiers

And while there's concern that parliament might take too long to pass a bill allowing Merkel to streamline and centralize pandemic crisis management, the chancellor and most of the state premiers agree the current situation is untenable