Coalition initiative
Traffic light group announces application for compulsory vaccination
01/21/2022, 7:19 p.m
A group of MPs from the SPD, FDP and Greens want to draw up a draft for a general obligation to vaccinate. The aim is to achieve more protection in the second half of the year and in the healthcare sector. However, the health policy spokeswoman for the Liberals is unlikely to be convinced.
In the midst of an ever-increasing wave of infections, there is movement in the debate about general corona vaccination in Germany. Seven MPs from the SPD, FDP and Greens coalition groups have launched a first concrete initiative for an obligation from the age of 18, which is intended to provide more protection in autumn and winter. They want to draw up a draft for this after the orientation debate planned for next Wednesday in Parliament.
The group announced the push for compulsory vaccination in a letter that went to MPs from all parliamentary groups except for the AfD. It is about “finding a sustainable, proportionate and at the same time targeted solution,” it says. The main motivation is to be prepared in the long term with a view to autumn and winter and to prevent the health system from being overloaded in future waves of infection. Vaccination is safe, effective and the best way to overcome the pandemic. “By increasing the vaccination rate, we protect our healthcare system from permanent overload and avoid restrictions on public life.”
The letter is signed by the SPD deputies Dirk Wiese, Heike Baehrens and Dagmar Schmidt, the Greens Janosch Dahmen and Till Steffen as well as Katrin Helling-Plahr and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP. They emphasize: “On this important issue, we are expressly open and cross-party, because we want to bring about a democratic consensus for the best possible solution.” You invite other MPs to support you.
Schmidt told the “Handelsblatt” that the SPD parliamentary group “prefers a majority of vaccinations from the age of 18”. There are still some MPs who are “thoughtful about detailed questions”. “But in the basic direction there is broad agreement.” Without such a compulsory vaccination, it would not be possible to “achieve basic immunity and the endemic situation,” argued Schmidt.
Skeptical voices from the FDP
The health policy spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group, Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, is still skeptical about general vaccination requirements. In addition to vaccination, the highly contagious corona variant Omicron will probably lead to a broad immunization of the population, she told Bayerischer Rundfunk in an interview that is to be broadcast on Saturday. For this reason alone, the point of a general obligation to vaccinate should be questioned.
Aschenberg-Dugnus added that it would first have to be seen how the compulsory vaccination in clinics, nursing and care facilities that will apply from March will affect the vaccination rate. At the same time, she emphasized that it is an important goal to boost most of the particularly vulnerable population groups by autumn or, if necessary, to provide them with another booster vaccination.
According to the plans of the coalition, the Bundestag should decide in an open vote without the usual group discipline – according to the SPD by March at the latest. So far, there is only one draft by a group led by FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki, who speaks out against compulsory vaccination.
In the left-wing faction there is currently almost no one who says: “I’m definitely in favor of it” because there are still too many question marks, said parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch. The Union criticizes the general approach of the coalition that proposals should be made by Parliament. She insists that the federal government submit its own draft law.