Corona vaccination debate: Bärbel Bas invites Joshua Kimmich for a coffee

The President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) is grateful to the footballer Joshua Kimmich for initiating the debate about long-term consequences.

She offers to talk about anything over coffee.

Berlin - FC Bayern player Joshua Kimmich is currently perhaps Germany's most famous vaccine refuser.

The national player had drawn a lot of public criticism by his admission that he would wait with the vaccination.

But the newly elected President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) on Tuesday is grateful to the athlete for initiating the debate about the long-term consequences.

She offers to talk to him about it over coffee.

There are other topics on the agenda of the new President of the Bundestag - such as the failed electoral reform and the minimum voting age.

Long-term consequences debate: Bärbel Bas wants to talk to Joshua Kimmich in peace

In an interview, Joshua Kimmich announced that he had not yet had himself vaccinated because he had concerns "regarding the lack of long-term studies." From a medical perspective, these concerns are unfounded. Because unlike drugs, there are no long-term effects with vaccines. "We know from decades of experience with vaccinations that most side effects occur within a few hours or days," says Vice President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute Prof. Stefan Vieths in an interview with

. "In rare cases it happens that vaccine side effects are only recognized after several weeks."

FC Bayern player Joshua Kimmich is probably not the only person in Germany who still has concerns, even if they are not factually justified. Because at this point the perceived truth differs significantly from scientific knowledge for some. That is why the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas is grateful to the athlete for his honest doubts. It calls for more information from politics and science. “Maybe even more people will be convinced to have a vaccination before they are caught by the fourth wave that is now rolling,” says Bas. “I like to meet Joshua Kimmich for coffee,” the SPD politician invited the athlete.

Because I am even grateful to him for having reopened the debate about the long-term effects of vaccinations before winter.

To be clear: Despite millions of vaccinations, there is no evidence of long-term damage. "

Bärbel Bas wants to re-roll failed electoral reform

In addition to having coffee with Kimmich, there are other items on the agenda of the President of the Bundestag. At the top of the list is electoral reform. It's about the size of the Bundestag. According to the federal electoral law, the envisaged number of members in the German parliament is 598. However, if a party wins more direct mandates than it is entitled to with two votes, it is allowed to keep these seats. In addition, the other parties receive compensation mandates. Due to this regulation, the parliament is currently the largest in the history of the Federal Republic: Since the federal election in 2021 there are now 736 members in the Bundestag, previously there were 709.

Bas therefore wants to roll out the reform of the electoral law again. According to her own statements, she is acting in accordance with the will of the MPs: “I sense the understanding and the serious will in the parliamentary groups, including in the Union, that parliament cannot grow any further in the future,” said the SPD politician to the

on Saturday with. In terms of size, however, it is flexible. It doesn't necessarily have to be 598 MEPs, but Parliament should definitely get smaller. Her deputy Claudia Roth (Greens) is also in favor of a downsizing: "It is not least about the ability of Parliament to work," she said, according to the German press agency.

The Greens, the FDP and the Left had already submitted a draft law in the previous legislative period, but it could not be implemented.

From Bas's point of view, all ideas are already on the table.

The amendment to the law should be a done deal by 2022 at the latest.

In addition, President of the Bundestag Bas supports the idea of ​​lowering the minimum voting age from 18 to 16 years.

The potential traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP made this proposal.