Status: 10.01.2022 4:51 p.m.
When it comes to compulsory vaccinations, the pressure on the traffic light coalition is growing: The CDU accuses Chancellor Scholz of hesitation and calls for swift action. Baden-Württemberg is also pushing the pace.
In the debate about a general compulsory corona vaccination, the pressure on the traffic light coalition to set a more precise timetable is growing. The Union demanded more speed again, and Baden-Württemberg also demanded swift action. In view of the delays in the parliamentary procedure, the government reaffirmed that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was clearly in favor of mandatory vaccinations – but referred to the Bundestag in the timetable.
Scholz was of the opinion “that it should be done quickly,” said Vice Government Spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. However, it was up to the Bundestag to set the timetable for the passage of the law. The Chancellor will not put any pressure on Parliament to speed up the process.
CDU will hesitate before Scholz
The CDU called on the government to quickly draw up a bill. In principle, everyone agrees that it is now a question of implementation, said Secretary General Paul Ziemiak after deliberations with the party leadership. “The federal government just has to deliver now.” Ziemiak accused Scholz of showing no leadership in the question of the mandatory vaccination law. His approach was “very hesitant, very insecure,” said the Secretary General. “People feel it, and because they feel it, they are insecure.”
It is “not good news for our country” that Scholz’s schedule can no longer be kept. In the CDU, “the leading people” are in favor of compulsory vaccination. The CDU is always ready to talk about these important issues, including in special sessions of the Bundestag. “The calendar of meetings of the Bundestag is not an obstacle,” said Ziemiak.
Baden-Württemberg also called for more speed. “I expect the Bundestag to enter into legislation on mandatory vaccination as soon as possible. There must be no delays here,” said Health Minister Manne Lucha of the dpa news agency. The mandatory vaccination register must also be introduced quickly. “The vaccinations are still the key to coping with the pandemic,” said the Green politician.
Kühnert: No acute time pressure
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert, on the other hand, does not see parliament under acute time pressure with a view to the decision on compulsory vaccination. It was always clear “that a general compulsory vaccination could not help to cope with the current Omikron wave,” he said after a meeting of the SPD presidium.
He spoke out in favor of a swift decision by the Bundestag, but doubted it would come into force by the beginning of March. “It may now be the case that the schedule in the German Bundestag and the Bundesrat does not allow that,” he said. He rejected the opposition’s accusation that the government was not actively promoting the project. It was right to leave the question to Parliament.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock supported the introduction of mandatory vaccination during her visit to Italy. She believes that this makes sense, said the Green politician after a meeting with her Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio. You and your party have already made that clear.
Orientation debate at the end of January
In the debate, more and more people are looking at the calendar. Because a target time, from when a previously long excluded obligation should take effect, Scholz had mentioned early: “beginning of February or beginning of March”. So far, the SPD had generally announced that it would aim to conclude a legislative process “in the first quarter”, ie by the end of March at the latest.
The Bundestag should decide on the regulations for this according to plans by the SPD, FDP and the Greens in a free vote without group specifications – and not on a coalition project that would then have to get a coalition majority. The background is also clearly visible different positions in the rows of traffic lights. Widespread reservations have already emerged, especially from the FDP.
It is now clear that there will probably be an open “orientation debate” at the end of January. In the last electoral term, there were already new regulations for organ donation or blood tests before birth for a child’s Down syndrome, among other things. Specific legislative proposals do not have to be on the table during the debate.
Special Sessions to Accelerate?
There was also a stir about the fact that for the time being there was only one week of parliamentary sessions on the calendar for the whole month of February. In the Bundestag, according to the AFP news agency, the coalition and opposition factions are showing a willingness to accelerate the legislative process – if necessary, by convening special sessions and waiving the traditional break from the carnival in February.
Several applications in progress
First on the table was an application from a group led by FDP vice-president Wolfgang Kubicki, who clearly speaks out against compulsory vaccination. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is working in his own words “as a member of parliament” on an application for compulsory vaccination for everyone over the age of 18. The FDP health politician Andrew Ullmann suggested an age-dependent regulation like in Italy, where it applies to over-50s. In the Ethics Council, too, there were two positions on the extent of mandatory vaccination in a majority vote: for everyone over the age of 18 or only for older people and those with previous illnesses.