If possible before taking office
Crisis team, expert advice, partial compulsory vaccination: How the traffic light coalition wants to act against Corona
Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz (SPD) said on November 24, 2021 in Berlin: “My most important message is: The traffic light is on. The SPD, Greens and FDP have agreed in the negotiations on a joint coalition agreement and thus on a new government alliance. We are now putting this contract before our parties to vote. And we are campaigning intensely that all three parties will agree to this contract within the next ten days. Our goal is to lead the first alliance of red, green and yellow at the federal level Coalition on equal terms with three partners who contribute their strengths for the good of our country. We are united by the belief in progress and that politics can do something good. We are united by the will to make the country better, to advance it and to keep it together. We are not interested in a policy of the lowest common denominator, but rather a policy of great impact in restructuring our industry, in modernizing the country, in strengthening social cohesion. We want to dare to make more progress. With ambition and perseverance, we will make our country a pioneer in climate protection. With the consistent and rapid expansion of renewable energies, with an acceleration of planning law. We support industry in switching to climate-neutral production. Cutting-edge technology made in Germany will continue to exist in the future. I am glad that we have agreed to increase the minimum wage in one step to 12 euros, as I announced. That means a raise in salaries for 10 million citizens. We are introducing basic child protection, which will prevent poverty and create better opportunities for children and young people. At the same time, as promised, we are keeping the pension stable and developing it. And we have agreed with each other to push ahead with housing construction in the fight against high rents. We will build 400,000 new apartments per year, 100,000 of which are publicly funded. The modernization of our country does not come for free. We will invest heavily in order to keep Germany among the best in the world. We have agreed on these investments with each other and we will comply with the debt brake that is guaranteed in the Basic Law. “
With the presentation of the coalition paper, the traffic light parties also announced a change in the fight against the corona pandemic. Central point: establishment of a permanent crisis team.
A crisis team should be set up in the Chancellery, if possible before the traffic light government takes office. This was announced by the designated Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) before he went into the coalition paper of the SPD, Greens and FDP.
In detail, Scholz announced:
Establishment of a permanent corona crisis team. This is supposed to be a federal-state committee.
Appointment of a panel of experts. The body is supposed to report to the future government on a daily basis. The members should come from the fields of virology, epidemiology, sociology and psychology. Scholz is hoping for “precisely discussed proposals” on how to proceed in the pandemic in the near future. The point is not to postpone decisions, but to make them.
Massively promote the vaccination campaign. This should be done by mobile vaccination teams. Corona vaccinations should also be possible in pharmacies in the future. I also think that a supportive mission by the Bundeswehr is “right”.
Corona: One billion for bonus payments in nursing
Bonus payment for nurses. The nursing staff in hospitals and homes, who are particularly challenged during the pandemic, should receive a bonus. For this, according to Scholz, “first” one billion euros will be made available.
Partial vaccination requirement. “In facilities in which particularly vulnerable groups are cared for, we should make vaccination compulsory,” announced Scholz. An extension to a general compulsory vaccination must be examined depending on the situation.
Like Robert Habeck (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP), Scholz emphasized that the traffic light parties are aware that they will take on government responsibility in a crisis situation. Therefore, one is also ready to take action together with the still managing government before the formal takeover of government affairs. On Tuesday evening, the heads of the traffic light parties interrupted the final coalition negotiations to talk to Chancellor Angela Merkel about further steps to contain the pandemic.