Vaccination debate becomes emotional: Young Greens want "freedom back" - Gysi says strictly "No"

Created: 03/18/2022, 05:00

By: Florian Naumann

The Greens MP Emilia Fester on Thursday at the vaccination debate in the Bundestag.

© Michael Kappeler/dpa

"If you had been vaccinated...": The mandatory vaccination debate in the Bundestag is emotional.

Ministers promote universal duty, Union declares them “dead”.

Berlin - Overshadowed by a heated argument about how to deal with a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in the morning, the Bundestag discussed compulsory vaccination on Thursday (March 17).

The debate was unusually confusing: It was not proposals from the coalition and the opposition that faced each other - but four individual proposals, some of which crossed factions.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)* and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), among others, spoke up.

Corona vaccination requirement: Lauterbach warns in the Bundestag – Habeck wants “back to freedom”

Lauterbach once again backed a general obligation to vaccinate from the age of 18.

"We can end the pandemic for Germany for the first time with compulsory vaccination," said the SPD politician.

"Let's seize this opportunity." If we succeed in achieving a vaccination rate of over 90 percent among people over 60, we don't have to be afraid of restrictions in autumn," emphasized the Minister of Health.

It's about preventing serious illness and death, Lauterbach said.

"We have the vaccines for that." With a view to the still high infection rates, he added: "The unvaccinated are currently responsible for the fact that we are not making any progress." The minister also pointed out that there would be new virus variants in autumn could come.

For example, the omicron can change in such a way that it penetrates deeper into the lungs, only a few mutations currently prevent this.

The probability that there will be no difficulties in the fall is "almost zero percent," he warned.

Habeck also urged the introduction of a general corona vaccination.

“People in this country are fed up.

Let's finally get this pandemic over with, let's get rid of the virus and then return to freedom," Habeck said in parliament on Thursday.

With purely voluntary vaccinations "we do not get the basic protection in society".

Habeck said: "The freedom interpretation of the few must not lead to the permanent restriction of freedom of the many."

Mandatory vaccination debate in the Bundestag: compromise sought - Union declares general mandatory vaccination for "dead"

The FDP MP Andrew Ullmann initially campaigned for mandatory advice.

He is a co-initiator of an application for mandatory advice and then a possible vaccination requirement from the age of 50. "Our draft law builds bridges," he emphasized.

Ullmann warned that there should not be another Christmas with restrictions in 2022.

His comrade-in-arms Herbert Wollmann (SPD) described the idea as the "least means" - and also saw the ethics council behind the proposal.

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The Union has submitted the application for a vaccination law that provides for a graduated procedure according to professional and age groups.

The obligation to vaccinate would therefore have to be activated by a separate decision of the Bundestag.

There is currently no majority for a general obligation to vaccinate from the age of 18, said Union parliamentary group Vice Sepp Müller.

"At this point in time, the general obligation to vaccinate is dead," said the CDU politician.

Union health expert Tino Sorge had already

ruled out support from the parliamentary group for a general obligation to vaccinate at

Corona vaccination obligation: Gysi strictly against it – “I was in favor of the measles”

The FDP deputy Manuel Höferlin opposed any compulsory vaccination and thus supported the advance of the FDP party vice president Wolfgang Kubicki.

Vaccination protects against serious illnesses or death.

However, this does not result in an obligation.

He pointed out that Austria had now suspended the vaccination requirement introduced there.

Anyone who prefers to wear a mask instead of a vaccination has the right to decide so.

The figurehead of the left, Gregor Gysi, also backed the no to compulsory vaccination.

“I am a strict opponent of the general obligation to vaccinate.

I was in favor of measles because that eradicated the disease, which the vaccine doesn't do here," he said.

Instead, Gysi called for more clarification.

30,000 people a day have to be convinced that this can be done, as has been shown in Bremen, for example.

Fines are the wrong way, the law is not enforceable - therefore it should not be passed.

Bundestag on compulsory vaccination: Left and Green advertise emotionally - "If you had been vaccinated ..."

The debate was partly emotional, and Bundestag Vice-President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) had to remind people to keep to the speaking time.

Left MP Kathrin Vogler argued for compulsory vaccination, referring to her own problems with Long-Covid.

"In case you're interested, I've had a headache every day for two months now and I'm exhausted from every little thing, I keep having bouts of weakness for several hours along with a feverish tingling, zero hunger or appetite, my brain doesn't work properly, I often sleep 14 hours and I didn't recover afterwards," she said.

You cannot protect yourself individually from Long-Covid, the best protection is a high vaccination rate.

It became clear in the debate that there are different views across the parliamentary groups.

Tabea Rößner from the Greens opposed compulsory vaccination.

"Many have fears, some report strong vaccination reactions," she said.

"Sterile immunity cannot be achieved with compulsory vaccination." The corona vaccination is also more self-protection than protection of others. 

If you and your friends of freedom had gotten vaccinated when most of us had the sense to take that simple step, we would be free again, or at least freer again!

Emilia Fester (Greens), the youngest member of the Bundestag, is campaigning for compulsory vaccination

Her parliamentary colleague Emilia Fester, currently the youngest member of the Bundestag, referred to the deprivation of young people: "All that I miss so much may seem ridiculous to you, but do you know what is really ridiculous?

If you and your friends of freedom had gotten vaccinated when most of us had the sense to take that simple step, we would be free again, or at least freer again!” she exclaimed.

"I want my freedom back now!"

There was also a willingness to compromise.

"Let's look for a consensus together for a sustainable path," said SPD MP Baehrens - she opened the debate with a plea for compulsory vaccination from the age of 18. A vote on the various applications is planned without the usual group discipline.

It's scheduled in three weeks.

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