Germany: The meteoric step towards compulsory vaccination

Following the completion of all the procedures that a government needs to complete after the parliamentary elections, the new coalition government under Olaf Solz is now taking the next steps towards the adoption of a mandatory vaccination law. This will be done by the legislature with all the procedures provided. Chancellor Soltz hastened to clarify that there would be no party discipline on this issue, meaning that every member of the German parliament would vote conscientiously. For the prehistory of the issue, it should be noted that two weeks ago, when Soltz had not yet taken office, he announced after consulting with the local prime ministers of the 16 states that on the issue there was a consensus among those present for the adoption of a mandatory vaccination. This was followed by a series of statements by politicians who welcomed the proposal and openly stated that they were in favor. In other words, the impression was created that the vote in the Parliament would be more than a normal parliamentary process, but it would not endanger the project with the votes of the governing majority.

“They call him koutornithi”

With this as a given, Olaf Solz called on the parliamentary groups to submit their proposals. The first came from the government partner, the Liberal Party, and is signed by more than 20 lawmakers, including FDP health expert Christine Assenberg-Dugnus and former party Secretary-General Linda Tuttenberg. According to the text, the Federal Parliament should state that “in Germany there will be no general compulsory vaccination against Sars-CoV-2”. One of the most prominent signatories is the Vice President of the Parliament Wolfgang Kubiki. Like many other FDP MPs he sees the fight against compulsory general vaccination and a fight for individual freedoms. The Button case deserves special mention. A few days before the parliamentary elections, in a videotaped interview with the Bild newspaper, he revealed that during the period of severe lockdown, he violated the measures in the seaside village of Strande in Schleswig-Holstein, where he lives, going to the cafe “where despite the bans “because as they said, there is nothing.” He even noted that he has no regrets, because “he used his right to autonomous action”, talking about “irrational measures in the pandemic that caused great discomfort to the people”. He even went so far as to turn against Karl Lauterbach, the current Minister of Health and a supporter of compulsory vaccination, conveying the gossip of people in the cafe of his village: “They do not speak well of him, they call him koutornithi”.

The first “no” to the mandatory vaccination of the entire population comes from MPs of Olaf Solz’s government partner, although there was a consensus to pass the Christmas period and with the new year to start formulating positions by parties or groups of MPs. The political argument put forward by FDP MPs is that the party got a lot of votes because it categorically ruled out mandatory vaccinations. “And that breaking such a promise can cause long-term damage to society.” But from the point of view of the unity that a newly formed governing coalition should breathe in such a crucial point, the proposal of a group of MPs from the FDP goes in exactly the opposite direction. And not only that. It seems to have taken all the other parliamentary factions of the ruling coalition by surprise. The newspaper Die Welt writes in an article that “Liberal MPs expose Olaf Solz”.

Christian Linder: I tend to go for compulsory vaccinations

The Omicron variant, however, does not leave much room for movement. In Germany, dispersion is limited, but developments in other countries, such as Denmark and Britain, also show the way the country inevitably has ahead. Slowing down, according to Thomas Koehler, head of the Robert Koch Institute, can only be achieved through vaccination, and even with the booster dose. In this light, some commentators show zero understanding of the attitude of MPs around Wolfgang Kubiki. “One can reduce the freedom of vaccination to the extent of all things, but at the same time one confesses recklessness to the detriment of one’s fellow human beings,” Spiegel argues. “Because in the meantime it should have reached the ears of Koumpiki’s bankers in the cafe of his village, that whoever is not vaccinated, endangers not only himself, but also countless others, such as relatives, friends, colleagues, people who due to of the unvaccinated end up in the intensive care unit or because of the beds occupied by the unvaccinated, their treatment is often delayed when it is too late, (…) by the way, none of them could decide freely if they would like to suffer all these disadvantages “. Waiting for reactions from other parties, the only one who took a stand, and this after many press harassments, was the new representative of the Christian Parties (CDU / CSU) Tino Zorge. Speaking to the Welt, he said that “the G20 initiative demonstrates how random and uncoordinated the three partners are”. Zorge said his party has all the time to submit its proposal after talks with experts and an exchange of views on all aspects of compulsory vaccination. “But regardless of that, we call on the 3 partners of the government to find, not only a single position, but also their own majority in Parliament, when the time comes.”

Because that’s exactly the problem. Will government partners be able to count on the 96-seat government majority in a vote that will not be based on party discipline? Tino Zorge disagrees. “The obligation to vaccinate is not a matter of conscience. Hiding behind such a sensitive issue behind a vote of conscience is not enough to govern.” The lack of vaccines for the first quarter of 2022, which coincides with the vote in the German parliament, gives some respite. The head of K.O. of the FDP Christian Deer makes the existence of several vaccines a precondition for a mandatory vaccination. In today’s Handelsblatt he stated that the state can not ask citizens to be vaccinated when vaccinations are not enough. He even showed understanding to the group of 20. “Many are still hesitant about the FDP on this issue, and I have not yet decided.” Regarding the party president and Minister of Finance, Christian Lindner stressed (FAZ, 02/12) that, if there are no doubts of a constitutional nature, he tends to general compulsory vaccination, “because we now have a long experience regarding the effect of vaccines. “. He even supported the re-evaluation of his position in the disappointing vaccination campaign. “It burdens the health system and leads more and more to the limits of a lockdown. As a liberal I have a difficult decision, so I respect other considerations.”

Irini Anastassopoulou

Source: Deutsche Welle