Status: 06.01.2022 4:13 p.m.
Proceed with the Corona rules moderately, support poor people with the high energy costs and show toughness when it comes to immigration: FDP boss Lindner marked the course of the liberals in the traffic light government at the Epiphany.
It is the first Epiphany meeting of the FDP since the Liberals in the Bund are back in power. And it is the second Epiphany meeting after 2021 that the party has to hold mostly digitally because of the pandemic. The Corona crisis was also one of the central topics this time. Party leader Christian Lindner called for a course of moderate restrictions to be maintained in the pandemic.
“The protection of health is a great good, but the greatest good of our constitution is and remains freedom,” he said in Stuttgart. He described compulsory vaccination as a sensitive encroachment on people’s right to self-determination, which must rightly be decided without party lines.
Undecided on the subject of mandatory vaccination
According to his own words, he is still undecided about a general vaccination requirement. “I’m no longer against it in principle,” he said. “But I haven’t made a positive decision either.” For example, he does not yet know the group proposals in the Bundestag.
In addition, due to the development of the situation around the Omikron variant of the corona virus, a decision cannot yet be made. “That’s why it’s good that we take a little more time,” said Lindner. “For the fifth, for the Omikron wave, a general compulsory vaccination would not make a contribution either.”
The Bundestag is expected to decide this year in a free vote without parliamentary group discipline about a general obligation to vaccinate against corona. Resistance is stirring within the FDP in the Bundestag. The deputy FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki and other FDP MPs had clearly spoken out against such an obligation in a draft proposal.
“Moderate Restrictions”
Lindner, who is also the Federal Minister of Finance, said the course of the corona pandemic in the past few weeks was a confirmation of a measured approach to encroachments on fundamental rights. It is not yet fully clear what risks the Omikron variant entails, “Therefore, caution and attention are recommended.” “Moderate restrictions” are now required.
The crisis strategy of the new federal government with 2G and 3G rules for hygiene protection, the reintroduction of free tests and a crisis team headed by a Bundeswehr general are showing results. Germany has organized the most successful booster campaign for vaccinations in Europe in the past few weeks.
Help poor people with energy costs – even in the short term
In view of the high gas and energy prices, the finance minister promised financial aid for poorer households. “The high gas and energy prices are of course also a burden for many families,” said Lindner. In the long term, households should be relieved through other measures, such as the EEG surcharge and climate money. “But we also have to act at short notice,” said Lindner.
The federal government is therefore examining measures that could help people who would have to spend a disproportionate share of their disposable income on, for example, increased heating costs. “I promise, with the opportunities I have, that we will provide such solidarity-based support for the people who are particularly affected by the increased heating costs that we will also finance them,” said Lindner.
Lindner insists on deportations
Lindner also addressed the issue of migration policy: he knew that many had the expectation that a lot is happening now, especially with regard to humanitarian immigration to Germany. “But it must be clear that this willingness to take on more humanitarian responsibility must remain inextricably linked with Germany concluding workable return and migration agreements with other countries that work in practice.”
A new, also liberal immigration policy must create the conditions for people to come to Germany unbureaucratically. “On the other hand, however, it has to put more emphasis on ensuring that those who have no place with us can be brought back to their old homeland.”
So if you want to make quick progress with qualified immigration and humanitarian immigration, you also have to speed up with sustainable migration agreements. He suggested that the special representative provided for this in the coalition agreement should be named very quickly in the coming weeks.