EU solidarity crumbles: Bavaria sidelines Merkel and Brussels to sign Russian vaccine deal
Markus Söder, the state’s minister-president, took decisive action as criticism of Brussels’ handling of the vaccine rollout continues. On Wednesday he signed a preliminary contract for the delivery of Sputnik V jabs, which will kick in once the Russian-made shot is approved by the European drug regulator.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is in the process of examining the application for approval of the Sputnik jab.
Following a meeting of his cabinet, Mr Söder said batches of the vaccine would arrive for distribution immediately after the green light is given.
As Europe’s healthcare systems threaten to buckle under the third Covid wave, Bavaria has reported a rise in infections.
As a result, the state government has decided to push back the easing of restrictions by at least two weeks.
