A vaccination dispute threatens to escalate in Bavaria's coalition.
Markus Söder increases the pressure on Hubert Aiwanger - but he sees the issue as trumps on the side of his party.
Unterhaching / Berlin - Bavaria's government coalition suddenly finds itself in a highly explosive dispute. The components: A fundamental quarrel about the irritating topic of vaccination - with the participation of the Prime Minister and Vice-Prime Minister as real objects of demonstration. A federal election campaign in which the junior partner could lose decisive percentages from the senior partner. Tense nerves after months of different wishes and demands on the corona policy. And finally as a set: a choice of words with maximum escalation potential. Keyword “apartheid”.
Just in time for the flood emergency in parts of Upper Bavaria and a good two months before the federal elections, Markus Söder (CSU) and Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) had a hard time fighting. Markus Söder held back for a few days, remained silent and said nothing. On Saturday, however, he felt compelled to reprimand his deputy Aiwanger publicly and sharply.
The occasion: Aiwanger does not want to be vaccinated against Corona - and recently had to put up with taunts from Söder on the open stage.
He later warned against an "apartheid discussion" about vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
These are "disturbing statements", inappropriate for a deputy prime minister, says Söder at the district party conference of the Upper Bavaria CSU in the stadium of SpVgg Unterhaching just outside Munich - where the Free Voters had recently met.
Aiwanger should take back the choice of words and apologize, the Prime Minister demands.
Söder demands an apology from Aiwanger - but the free voter boss is even hoping for an election campaign boost
It is the preliminary climax of an increasingly heated dispute - not primarily between the coalition parties as a whole, but between Söder and Aiwanger. The core of the dispute is the subject of vaccination: Söder insists that as many people as possible get vaccinated as quickly as possible. In the long run, this is the only real chance in the fight against Corona, he also says in Unterhaching.
Once again, Söder holds out the prospect that clubs and discos could open to fully vaccinated people in the fall. And that tests could also be charged for those who do not want to be vaccinated despite being able to be vaccinated. Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) confirmed the latter at the weekend. Of course, Aiwanger sees everything very differently - and will probably no longer want to give in. He apparently sees the topic of vaccination as a trump card in the approaching Bundestag election campaign: "In the next few weeks we will certainly also gain sympathy points with sensible topics ranging from hydrogen to strengthening rural areas and no to mandatory vaccinations," he said at the weekend the
daily mirror
.
Corona in Bavaria: Söder irritated after Aiwanger's relaxation mantra - "Whoever demands, must do too"
Meanwhile, Söder is extremely annoyed that Aiwanger is one of those who refused to be vaccinated, while the state government is trying hard to push the vaccination campaign.
The Prime Minister will therefore once again increase the pressure on his deputy on Saturday.
“It is of course a private matter for every private person whether he wants to be vaccinated or not.
And it is also perfectly permissible to be skeptical, to have questions, ”says Söder.
But then he emphasizes: "It makes a difference whether someone is a private person or has a high public office."
And then Söder says in the direction of Aiwanger, who was always one of the first to call for anti-corona measures to be relaxed: "Whoever demands freedom and opening must also do what brings freedom and opening."
Aiwanger, on the other hand, does not want to be put under pressure by Söder - and defends himself against political pressure on non-vaccinated people.
"I warned that we would deliver ammunition to those who oppose vaccination through a rash approach to vaccination policy and that we would get involved in an apartheid discussion," he said of his latest statement.
He didn't mean to say that differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people could be compared to apartheid.
The apartheid policy was an internationally largely outlawed action by the white minority population, especially against the black majority in South Africa, but also against other ethnic groups.
Bayern coalition in crisis?
Especially Söder and Aiwanger are not green
The
Tagesspiegel
says Aiwanger beyond: "We can not put all the gun at his chest, which do not want to be vaccinated." As for himself, he adds: "I'm still not convinced that the vaccination for me personally makes sense. "
The fact that Söder and Aiwanger are not always on the same wavelength is nothing new.
And there are also many content-related issues between the CSU and Free Voters as a whole, not just in the Corona policy.
For example, the coalition partners are still divided on many points as to how climate protection should be strengthened in the future.
But Söder does not see all of this as tragic.
With the exception of Aiwanger's latest statement, they work well together, he says and praises the cooperation with the Free Voters Ministers.
The central core of the tension is Aiwanger's no to a corona vaccination.
At least superficially.
Söder against Aiwanger: vaccination dispute without end?
The federal election also plays a role
Because there is also the competition between the CSU and free voters in the federal election campaign.
As is well known, Aiwanger and the Free Voters want to join the Bundestag.
And even if it does not work nationwide: In Bavaria, they are likely to take away votes from the CSU.
This is one of the reasons why the CSU is currently attacking the Free Voters.
That too has to be factored into the Söder-Aiwanger dispute.
The Bundestag candidacy of the Free Voters makes absolutely no sense, Söder blasphemed on Saturday.
“Nobody in North Rhine-Westphalia knows them, and nobody in the north understands them.” A vote for the Free Voters is a vote given away.
"Better stay at home and leave Berlin to the CSU," he calls out to Aiwanger - knowing that the Free Voters will probably feel even more spurred on by this provocation.
According to the coalition, these tensions will probably only be over on the evening of the Bundestag election.
How the vaccination dispute between the head of government and his deputy will continue is completely open.
“Markus Söder sometimes has a somewhat robust style.
I can handle it, ”said Aiwanger in his interview.
(
dpa / fn
)