FAZ early thinkers: the end of paragraph 219a?

The most important things for you this Friday:

Rebecca Boucsein

Editor on duty at FAZ.NET.

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1. The end of paragraph 219a

2. After a tough struggle, Brussels says yes to Ukraine

3. What applies to the gas alert level

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1. The end of Section 219a

The debate over the abortion advertising ban was long and emotional.

The doctor Kristina Hänel played a key role in the fact that it should fall - she wants to follow the vote in the Bundestag on the visitors' gallery.

"Important step":

One of the most prominent advocates of the abolition of 219a is the Giessen doctor Kristina Hänel.

She considers today's upcoming decision to abolish the ban on advertising abortions to be an "important step towards freedom of information" for the women concerned.

"I'm delighted that the unspeakable paragraph, which caused a lot of mischief, will be part of history," explained Hänel.

Like Hänel, she and other doctors convicted or reported on the basis of the paragraph wanted to follow the vote in Berlin.

Hänel was first sentenced to a fine in November 2017 by the Gießen District Court.

End of criminal prosecution:

Section 219 of the Criminal Code regulates pregnancy conflict counseling.

Linked to it is 219a, which the traffic light is deleting – and thus wants to seal the end of the so-called advertising ban for abortions.

It is to be abolished because doctors cannot publicly offer detailed information about abortions without fear of prosecution.

There should be a majority in the Bundestag for the project.

Assisted suicide:

Today, the Bundestag is also dealing with three bills for the new regulation of assisted suicide in the first reading.

In 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court lifted the legal ban on commercial assisted suicide.

According to the judgment, the assistance of third parties in suicide is generally permissible.

The judges recommended that lawmakers prevent possible abuse.

more on the subject

2. After a tough struggle, Brussels says yes to Ukraine

It will be a few hours before the EU summit sends out the yes that Kyiv is longing for.

Moldova also receives candidate status.

It is the first step in a lengthy accession process.

What now?

Candidate status is not a guarantee of speedy admission to the EU.

As an EU candidate country, Ukraine must first meet seven requirements before accession negotiations can begin.

Among other things, it is about the selection process for Ukrainian constitutional judges and a stronger fight against corruption.

The EU Commission is also demanding that standards in the fight against money laundering be observed and that a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs be implemented.

Georgia has been promised status once the country has completed certain reforms.

Frustration:

In addition to Turkey, the long-term candidate for accession, the Western Balkan countries, which are also hoping to join the EU, are becoming increasingly frustrated.

EU country Bulgaria has blocked the start of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania for more than a year because North Macedonia refuses to respond to demands on minorities, history and language.

Attempts to resolve the blockade before a Western Balkans meeting organized on the fringes of the EU summit failed.

Bosnia-Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia were also represented there.