Despite western media presentations of vaccine outlooks in what they frame as progressive Germany, the country actually has one of the lower vaccination rates in Europe. About 76% of Germans have one dose of vaccine compared to an average of 80% in France, Italy and Spain.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated earlier in the year, the only way forward through the COVID-19 pandemic was a national vaccine mandate.

Anticipating limited support for the measure, Scholz’s tenuous coalition government constructed a law they thought would have widespread support.  Those over 60-years of age would have a mandatory vaccination, and those 18 to 59 would have a mandatory conversation with their doctors about the vaccination.

The members of parliament were told to follow their conscience as Scholz’s law was brought to the floor for a vote.  The vaccine law failed to pass parliament as 378 members voted against it, 296 voted in favor.  The legislative defeat has stunned the ruling German coalition.

BERLIN, April 7 (Reuters) – Germany’s lower house of parliament on Thursday voted against a bill requiring anyone aged 60 and over to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in a defeat for Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

[…] In an attempt to avoid another wave of the virus in the autumn, the cross-party proposal required citizens aged 60 and over to be vaccinated from Oct. 15.  […]  Of the 683 parliamentarians who voted, 378 voted against the bill and 296 in favour, triggering cheers from far-right AfD lawmakers. It was a free vote, with lawmakers not told to follow party lines.

However, the defeat is a setback for Scholz who had even summoned his foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, to leave a NATO meeting in Brussels to return for the vote.

Scholz had last week been forced to drop plans for mandatory vaccinations for over 18s as he could not muster a parliamentary majority.

Dirk Wiese, a lawmaker involved in initiating the bill, blamed opposition conservatives, saying they blocked the bill to hurt the government.

“The CDU/CSU (conservatives) have unscrupulously answered a question of conscience,” Wiese said in a statement.

The bill’s failure reflects the challenging policy-making dynamics of the ruling coalition, comprising Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and liberal Free Democrats who disagree on many issues. (read more)

Apparently, the viewpoint of medical autonomy, freedom and individual liberty is still alive in Germany.  If the reports of vaccine rates are accurate, 24% of German have rejected the vaccine completely, and now 55% of MP’s have rejected the government demand to make the vaccine mandatory.

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