BERLIN (Reuters) – Two days before the Bundestag vote on compulsory vaccination, there is an agreement between the supporters of two group proposals.
A new compromise proposal provides for the introduction of mandatory vaccinations from the age of 60, which should apply from October. In September, based on the development of the pandemic, a decision will be made as to whether compulsory vaccination from the age of 18 is also necessary. Green MP Janosch Dahmen called on the Union to agree to the compromise in Thursday’s vote. However, the Union announced further rejection, which is why it is still uncertain whether the Bundestag can decide to make vaccination compulsory. The SPD and the Union had previously accused each other of blocking a majority for compulsory vaccination.
On Thursday, the Bundestag is to vote on the introduction of mandatory vaccination, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz and almost all top politicians from the SPD and Greens are campaigning for. However, it is controversial with the coalition partner FDP. The traffic light had therefore released the vote, so that cross-party motions could arise. Although a clear majority of parliamentarians in the Bundestag are in favor of compulsory vaccination, fragmentation over several motions and draft laws has so far prevented a sufficient majority.
So far, the debate for the vote in the Bundestag has included a refusal to vaccinate, an obligation from the age of 18, one from the age of 50 and the Union concept of graduated vaccination, which should only apply from a difficult pandemic development. A group of traffic light politicians had also presented a compromise proposal on Monday, which initially provides for compulsory vaccination from the age of 50 and a later vote on compulsory vaccination from the age of 18, as well as the introduction of a vaccination register. This should record who was vaccinated. However, this did not yet meet with the approval of the politicians from the SPD, Greens and FDP, who were previously in favor of a regulation only from the age of 50.
Now both groups agreed and declared: “We count on the responsibility of the Union to join this proposal. Our proposal provides the same age limit as the Union proposal and also includes the Union proposal for a vaccination register.” Part of the compromise is also advice for the unvaccinated. In June, the Bundestag should be able to suspend the vaccination requirement again at 60 “if the counseling talks increase the vaccination rate sufficiently”. The background to the age limit of 60 is that 11.2 percent of older people are not vaccinated and they are particularly susceptible to a severe course of a corona infection. Vaccination should help reduce the burden on hospitals.
The heads of the traffic light groups also want to achieve a majority for the compromise motion by wanting to have it voted on last. Then, according to the ulterior motive, supporters of other concepts could ultimately support the graduated model so that compulsory vaccination is decided at all. The Union rejects the procedure. CSU regional group chief Alexander Dobrindt spoke of “procedural tricks”. CDU leader Friedrich Merz warned the SPD, Greens and FDP of procedural “manipulations”.
The CDU health politician Tino Sorge accused the traffic light coalition of not including the Union. “If the latest compromise between 18 and 50 is suddenly said to be 60, something must be wrong,” he added. “As a Union, we do not agree to this obligation to vaccinate. This is not a compromise that can be won by a majority, but will be a case for the courts.”