Vaccination change?

Minister wants to rely on Omikron findings - but they do not yet exist

Created: 01/05/2022, 10:03 AM

From: Florian Naumann

FDP politician Marco Buschmann.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Will the vaccination be compulsory - and if so, when?

Omikron could change the situation: Justice Minister Marco Buschmann demands knowledge.

But they are a long time coming.

Berlin - Politicians wanted to get the introduction of a corona * vaccination compulsory on the way with high pressure - albeit, owing to the sensitive debate, in an extraordinary way: The Bundestag should vote on several motions and proposals without being compulsory for parliamentary groups.

But now it seems that a resolution on the subject can be put on hold, at least for a few weeks.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) indicated a corresponding readiness on Tuesday.

, he spoke out in

favor of taking into account findings about the new Omikron variant of the coronavirus.

At the moment, however, a lot is still unclear about the increasingly dominant corona mutation - as Buschmann also admitted.

Corona vaccination requirement in Germany: decision on hold for the time being?

Justice minister wants Omikron findings

"Initial findings indicate that we are steering into a new phase of the pandemic with Omikron *," said the FDP politician. He spoke of a new basis for decision-making in the months after January: If there were reliable indications in February or March that the compulsory vaccination "brings a significant increase in freedom for all of us," said Buschmann, there was much to be said for the introduction of such an obligation.

"If, on the other hand, vaccination should only help for two or three months in the foreseeable future, but otherwise basically everything stays as it is, then that speaks rather against compulsory vaccination," he added in the conversation over

.

At the same time, Buschmann stressed that he did not want to “anticipate the debate”.

NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) recently called for the obligation to be introduced quickly.

Video: Bavaria's Minister of Health Holetschek - mandatory vaccination without sanctions a "toothless tiger"

FDP minister does not want to exclude opponents of mandatory vaccination - but draws a red line

It is absolutely legitimate to reject the compulsory vaccination, stressed Buschmann now - also with a view to his party friend Wolfgang Kubicki. "I oppose marginalizing all people with this opinion." If a small part of the population continues to radicalize, "up to death threats or the publication of lists of enemies", freedom of expression can no longer be a question . "These are criminal offenses, and action must be taken against them."

Buschmann rejected the criticism that the traffic light * had deprived itself of important resources in the corona crisis with the decision to let the pandemic situation of national scope expire.

The new federal government has shown "that we were able to break the fourth wave with milder means," said the Justice Minister.

"And that, I think, is a success." Buschmann added: "The lack of freedom also makes you sick."

Vaccination dispute: FDP man warns of "failure" - Buschmann expects many suggestions

The parliamentary group leader of the FDP in Baden-Württemberg, Hans-Ulrich Rülke, warned of a failure in the introduction of mandatory vaccinations. “If that fails again, the population's distrust of politics will only increase. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the lateral thinkers want, ”said Rülke of the dpa. Although everyone would philosophize abstractly about the compulsory vaccination, nobody talks about its concrete implementation. "Without the courage for a national vaccination register, you don't even have to think about compulsory vaccination."

The Bundestag wants to discuss how a general vaccination requirement could be designed.

There are different opinions on the subject in almost all political groups.

Usually, political groups in parliament vote in unison.

However, there have also been deviations from this principle in the past, for example in relation to sensitive issues such as euthanasia or organ donations.

Buschmann had already reported to the TV broadcaster Welt on Monday that he was expecting a wide range of suggestions for compulsory vaccination.

It ranged from an immediate vaccination requirement for all adults to a complete rejection of the instrument, he said.

"For example, there will probably be an application that actually includes a general compulsory vaccination - by 'general' we mean citizens 18 years of age or older."

In addition, there will certainly be an application for a “graduated vaccination requirement”.

Such a model is known from Greece, for example.

"The idea behind this is that it is now a matter of protecting the public health system, paying particular attention to those groups who are at a very high risk of going to the hospital." Rejects compulsory vaccination as an instrument "(

)