Enlarge image
Corona vaccination in Bremen (archive picture)
Photo: Jörg Sarbach / dpa
How can Germany break the cycle of constantly increasing case numbers and new restrictions in the corona pandemic?
Numerous politicians are now pushing for a general vaccination requirement.
The obligation to imitate is "essential" - "otherwise we will always get caught in the loop of loosening and lockdown," said
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU)
on Wednesday evening in the "Tagesthemen".
The
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil
told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND) that he had previously believed that "many more people will be vaccinated than is actually the case today." He therefore said "always very convincingly" that there would be no compulsory vaccination. "That was a mistake." Klingbeil appealed to be vaccinated and boosted immediately. If the vaccination quota were to suddenly increase from the current 70 percent in Germany to 95 percent, the planned introduction of mandatory vaccination would not be necessary, he said. "I don't see that at the moment."
The
parliamentary manager of the Greens in the Bundestag, Irene Mihalic
, called on the members of the Bundestag to quickly get the general corona vaccination in place.
Especially in view of the much more contagious Omikron variant, the Bundestag must act "quickly".
"From my point of view, it can not be about whether, but only about how a vaccination is compulsory," Mihalic told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".
"The parliamentary process must be based on this principle," said the Green politician.
All the democratic forces in the Bundestag are asked to "play a constructive and problem-conscious way."
Kubicki sees himself confirmed by the recommendation of the Ethics Council
Bundestag
Vice
President
Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) sees himself encouraged by the vote of the Ethics Council in his rejection of a general vaccination requirement.
"The very balanced opinion of the Ethics Council shows that there are no simple answers to this important question," said the FDP deputy head of the "Rheinische Post".
"The fact that only around half of the council members vote for a general compulsory vaccination from the age of 18 is remarkable in view of the public media debate."
He could "understand the arguments of those who advocate compulsory vaccination from 18 or 60 years of age," Kubicki said: "But I do not share them." According to the newspaper, 31 FDPs have so far initiated a vote against compulsory vaccination - MPs attached.
Ethics Council not unanimous for compulsory vaccination
20 of 24 members of the Ethics Council had advocated compulsory vaccination in their opinion, but seven of them advocated compulsory vaccination only for particularly vulnerable groups, such as those over 60 years of age.
FDP party leader and Federal Finance Minister
Christian Lindner
reaffirmed that the Bundestag should vote on the question of a general vaccination requirement without being forced to participate in parliamentary groups.
"The discussion shows that there are reasons for and against the general compulsory vaccination that deserve respect," he told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".
Lindner himself had recently indicated that he might want to vote for mandatory vaccination.
Lindner spoke out against a hard lockdown.
This is "not the silver bullet, but only the last option, because its social and economic costs are so high."
He sees many people "who are again afraid of loneliness, school closings or the loss of their economic existence."
Doctors have repeatedly emphasized that effective protection against the new Corona variant is only possible with booster vaccinations.
Initial studies show that an infection with the Omikron variant may be less severe than with the delta variant that has prevailed up to now.
Because Omikron is even more contagious than previous variants of the virus, there could still be an overload of the health system - and ultimately more deaths.
Bundestag could vote on several motions on compulsory vaccination
According to information from the "Rheinische Post", at least three motions to vote from parliamentary groups in the Bundestag are planned to introduce a general vaccination requirement in the coming year.
One application advocates the general compulsory vaccination from the age of 18, another provides for the compulsory vaccination only for citizens from 60 years.
fek / dpa / AFP
