Nobody wants (or will) introduce mandatory vaccination. From the beginning of the pandemic until shortly after the federal election, this was the mantra of all leading German politicians - whether in the coalition of the Union and the SPD or in the opposition of the AfD, FDP and the Greens. Only when the delta wave rolled towards the hospitals, the vaccination gap did not decrease and the new government in the high-risk neighboring country Austria announced that vaccination would be mandatory for February overnight, the almost panic U-turn followed the sacred promise of Merkel, Scholz and others. Since the beginning of December, 13 prime ministers, three female prime ministers, the new chancellor, leading traffic light coalitionists and the largest opposition faction have been saying: (Almost) everyone is in favor of introducing mandatory vaccination as soon as possible. By early March at the latest - Merkel's successor promised.
But little or nothing has happened. Olaf Scholz, who is otherwise so strong in leadership, has honestly declared the decision on the most important political project of the next few months to be a decision of conscience for every MP. Knowing full well that he does not have his own majority because of the FDP troops around Kubicki, who is a strict opponent of vaccinations. Until parliamentarians have formulated their group motions against or for mandatory vaccination across all political groups, precious time will pass.
Especially since this law must stand before the Federal Constitutional Court and the tricky question has to be clarified how a vaccination register can be set up that does not fail in terms of data protection and still works.
In view of the tight schedule of the Bundestag and Bundesrat, Scholz will hardly be able to keep his promise despite all these hurdles.
But maybe the calculation, especially in the FDP, is anyway that Omikron will lead the country out of the pandemic.
Without any compulsory vaccination.
Which then only has to be discussed again before the next wave.