If, for the World Health Organization (WHO), compulsory vaccination against Covid-19 should be introduced in ” last resort “, the debate is gradually settling in Europe after the decision of several countries to resort to this measure, for all or part of the population, in order to contain the fifth wave of contaminations. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ruled on the 1er December that it would be “Reasonable and appropriate” that a discussion begins in the Member States on the subject, while 66% of Europeans are vaccinated, with strong disparities according to the nations. But, in several countries, the mere hypothesis of resorting to this radical measure raises strong protests and highlights partisan divisions.
Austria was the first state in the European Union (EU) to announce, on November 19, the introduction of compulsory vaccination for all, breaking with the medical history of the country, where there is no provision of this order, even for children. On Tuesday 7 December, on the occasion of his first press conference as the new chancellor, the conservative Karl Nehammer stuck to the line of his predecessors and his environmental allies, judging that “The vaccination obligation is unfortunately necessary”.
The vaccine against Covid-19 will therefore become mandatory ” during March [2022] “ for the entire population, probably from the age of 14, in this country of 8.9 million inhabitants. Only 67.6% of Austrians currently have a valid vaccination certificate and the country had to decree a containment in mid-November to relieve hospitals. According to a version of the text that has leaked to the press, unvaccinated Austrians will be summoned to vaccination centers and may receive a fine ranging from “Up to 600 euros” every three months if they don’t show up. In the event of refusal to pay, the amount may go up to 3,600 euros. It will be possible to escape the vaccine on medical advice or for pregnant women.
The announcement of the measure triggered a large protest movement. Some 40,000 people marched again in the streets of Vienna on December 4, and processions bringing together several thousand anti-tax devices were observed even in the smallest towns of the provinces. Fueled by the far right of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), the movement is also based on vaccine skepticism that extends to large sections of the population, including in esoteric and anthroposophical circles, influential in the world. Germanic space.
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