Proposal for corona vaccination?

Minister Lauterbach makes a decision for himself - "shoulder to shoulder"

Created: 01/13/2022, 05:20 AM

By: Patrick Mayer, Andreas Schmid

The debate about compulsory corona vaccination in Germany is in full swing.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announces a personal decision.

All information in the news ticker.

• Corona vaccination requirement:

  There is intense discussion about it in Germany.

• Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) makes a decision (

  see update from January 12, 8:45 p.m.

  ).

• There are two new proposals: compulsory vaccination from 50 or a transitional obligation for one year

  (see first registration).

• This

  news ticker for the discussion about a general vaccination requirement in Germany

  is continuously updated.

Update from January 12th, 8.45 p.m.:

Federal Minister of Health and Corona expert Karl Lauterbach waived his own proposal for a general vaccination requirement.

The SPD politician told the news portal

on Wednesday: "I have decided not to present my own proposal, but to be neutral." Presenting your own draft to parliament would definitely be "not such a smart idea" .

As health minister he must have “a certain neutrality”.

On the matter, however, he stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), assured Lauterbach: “We are clear supporters of mandatory vaccinations.” The minister does not see any particular time pressure.

For the Omikron variant, the compulsory vaccination no longer plays a decisive role.

It must work in perspective, "so that the wave can be averted in autumn," said the Rhinelander in an interview with the news portal.

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD).

© Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters / Pool / dpa

Is vaccination compulsory in Germany?

CDU / CSU put Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) under pressure

Update from January 12, 6.45 p.m.:

During the discussions about a possible general compulsory vaccination against Corona in Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is coming under more and more pressure. When the new traffic light federal government made up of the Social Democrats, the Greens and the FDP presented their specific plans to the German Bundestag this Wednesday by the federal ministers (so-called government survey), the coalition's new head of government justified himself.

Specifically: Scholz declared his reluctance in the debate about compulsory corona vaccination as a “democratic management style”.

He again campaigned decisively for decisions to be made on the basis of motions from the Bundestag - without being compulsory for a parliamentary group.

After the traffic lights have been presented, there should be an orientation debate in parliament at the end of January, after which group proposals should be drawn up from within the group of representatives.

A vote should then take place in March.

However, Scholz and the traffic light government have been facing political headwinds for weeks from the CDU and CSU union.

The conservative sister parties are calling on the federal government to initiate a draft law and have recently repeatedly questioned Scholz's schedule.

In the video: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promotes compulsory corona vaccination

Is vaccination compulsory in Germany?

SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich wants to adhere to the parliamentary decision

Update from January 12, 5.45 p.m.

In the debate about a general corona vaccination obligation, the chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Rolf Mützenich, defended the decision to bring about a resolution by parliament.

Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU) had previously asked the federal government to submit its own draft law.

However, the coalition wants the members of the Bundestag to vote freely on various proposals they have drawn up themselves.

"It is still the intention, at least of many colleagues in my group, to have a good debate about it and then to come to a conclusion in the first quarter of this year," said Mützenich on this Wednesday in the ARD "Mittagsmagazin".

Is vaccination compulsory in Germany?

Frank-Walter Steinmeier meets with vaccinated and unvaccinated people

Update from January 12, 4:45 p.m

.: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier initiated a debate with citizens this Wednesday about a possible general vaccination requirement in Germany.

To this end, he invited vaccinated and unvaccinated people to a discussion.

Some of the participants were in Berlin at Bellevue Palace, some of them digitally.

The head of state called for legal security and a convincing justification of the policy.

"As Federal President, I will not position myself in this round to say yes or no to a general vaccination requirement," Steinmeier explained himself - and listened to the positions of all those involved.

Is vaccination compulsory in Germany?

Chancellor Scholz wants to initiate this as soon as possible

First report from January 12th:

Munich / Berlin - Will vaccination be compulsory in Germany?

If so, when and how exactly?

Recently, the open questions regarding mandatory corona vaccination increased.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz * (SPD) had actually announced last year that he wanted to initiate a corresponding regulation as soon as possible.

Initially, the talk was from February to March 2022, but it now seems clear that this target will not be met.

In addition to the point in time, there are other uncertainties - such as the specific design.

Compulsory vaccination from 50?

CSU politician brings new model into play

Alongside Austria, Germany is the only western democracy in which a general vaccination requirement is being discussed.

In some countries, such as France, there is a so-called job-related compulsory vaccination, for example in the care sector, or partial vaccination in certain age groups, as in Italy.

However, only Austria and Germany are planning an all-encompassing mandatory vaccination that applies to all people over the age of 18.

Scholz had recently spoken out in favor of this model again and again, but unlike Austria, nothing has yet been decided.

In Germany, an age-dependent vaccination requirement is now being discussed for the first time.

In Italy all people over 50 are required to have an injection.

The CSU health politician Stephan Pilsinger spoke out in favor of this path.

Because the majority of Covid intensive care patients are older than 50 years, compulsory vaccination for all over 50-year-olds can effectively protect the health system and still keep the encroachment on freedom as low as possible for society.

Stephan Pilsinger, here with ex-Health Minister Jens Spahn, is a doctor and sits on the health committee in the Bundestag.

© Political Moments / Imago

Compulsory vaccination: FDP takes up CSU proposal - and has other design ideas

However, Pilsinger's statements are not (yet) ready for a decision. As the native of Munich announced in the meantime, he will probably not submit a corresponding application himself. In contrast to the usual procedure, a vote is taken on the compulsory vaccination without parliamentary pressure. That means: Members of parliament first have to come together in groups with a common position and formulate appropriate proposals. Thorsten Frei, Parliamentary Managing Director of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, emphasized that the CDU and CSU parliamentary group would not take over the work of the government. "If the federal government is of the opinion that compulsory vaccination is a means of getting out of this pandemic, then it must also submit a legislative proposal for it." 

Pilsinger's statements are initially just a mental game, but they are certainly heard in the traffic light coalition.

The FDP, which is very skeptical of the general compulsory vaccination, has already signaled its approval.

Interesting move by Stephan Pilsinger “, FDP board member Konstantin Kuhle wrote on Twitter.

He and FDP colleague Andrew Ullmann want to invite Pilsinger to “think further about such a step model.” In a letter, Kuhle praised Pilsinger's “noteworthy” proposal.

The compulsory vaccination headwind seems to be increasing.

From the ranks of the coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, an application by the Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki is already known, in which a vaccination requirement is rejected.

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr also brought a one-year vaccination requirement into play.

"Another idea would be to check the mandatory vaccination on a trial basis: the mandatory vaccination could only be introduced for a limited period, for example for a year," said Dürr of the

.

"But I haven't made a decision yet," stressed the group chairman.

Compulsory vaccination: Greens expect a decision in the first quarter of 2022

When a decision will be made cannot yet be foreseen.

The traffic light may also be taking its time due to ambiguities from Austria.

In the Alpine republic, compulsory vaccinations should take effect from February 1st.

However, this goal does not seem achievable - at least not without background noise *.

Meanwhile, the Greens are optimistic about the schedule. Group leader Britta Haßelmann expects a decision by the Bundestag in the first quarter, so by April 2022. "I still assume," said Haßelmann on Wednesday in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin". Within Parliament, "key points" have already been drawn up on three group proposals, each with a different approach. The MPs are in appropriate talks.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, meanwhile, called for a careful debate in the struggle about compulsory vaccination.

“Such an extraordinary measure also places our state in an extraordinary duty to its citizens.

In short: compulsory vaccination means compulsory debate. ”We will keep you up to date on this debate in the news ticker.