In a press conference, she accused the turquoise-green coalition of a “zigzag course” that was “a very serious mistake”. For his part, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl repeated the position that the compulsory vaccination law must be completely dropped.
Video: The ten-minute statement by Rendi-Wagner
It will probably be – after the approval of the main committee planned for Friday – the first regulation of the new Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens), who was sworn in on Monday. It succinctly stipulates that the essential provisions of the COVID-19 compulsory vaccination law – compulsory vaccination from the age of 18, penalties – are suspended until May 31st. The government announced on Wednesday that a new decision should be made in three months.
According to the law, which came into force on February 5, violations should have been punished from mid-March. However, such an encroachment on fundamental rights would be disproportionate with the currently prevailing omicron variant, according to the expert commission, whose report was the basis for the turquoise-green decision.
“No one knows anymore,” Rendi-Wagner stated at a press conference in view of the government’s actions. At first it was compulsory to vaccinate yes, now it is compulsory to vaccinate no. First it said testing yes, now it means testing no, Rendi-Wagner referred to considerations on limiting free tests. And while Austria now has the highest number of infections in the pandemic, all the rules are being thrown overboard. Above all, the SPÖ chairwoman misses an answer to the question of how Austria can get safely into the fall.
Rendi-Wagner sees the government’s greatest task as increasing the currently very low vaccination rate. She wants to stick to the tests and also considers protective measures to be necessary. Specifically, the SPÖ chairwoman would like more masks indoors and for the night gastro 2 or 3 G.
Kickl wants the “madness to be off the table”
FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl emphasized again on Thursday that he was happy that compulsory vaccination (“this madness”) was stopped for at least three months. “But I will only be satisfied when this vaccination law is off the table,” he repeated at a press conference. In the direction of the ÖVP provincial governors, who originally strongly advocated compulsory vaccination, but recently suspended it, he said: “If I look at the turns of the ÖVP provincial governors in particular, they soon look like the structure of a corkscrew. “
In any case, the FPÖ will continue to “resolutely resist” the obligation to vaccinate. This was, is and will be unconstitutional in three months – it has always been “without evidence” and will remain so in the future. Since the report of the compulsory vaccination commission clearly states that the goal is a refresher before autumn, Kickl firmly assumes that compulsory vaccination should be reintroduced from summer. “In my view, this is irresponsible, unreasonable, evidence-free – and therefore unacceptable to act in this way.”
Video: The press conference with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in full
Source: Nachrichten
