In the evening, the committee decision on the draft law is expected – with the votes of the government factions ÖVP and Greens as well as those of SPÖ and NEOS, whose MPs support the project for the most part. The FPÖ once again criticized the project.
The revised draft of compulsory vaccination was presented by the government on Sunday. The measure is expected to come into effect in early February, with an initial phase without penalties envisaged until mid-March. All persons over the age of 18 with their main or secondary residence in Austria will be affected. In the future, you must present a valid vaccination certificate. There are exceptions for pregnant women and all those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and for those who have recovered (up to six months after recovery). The penalty ranges from 600 to 3,600 euros.
The obligation to vaccinate comes in three phases: from the beginning of February every household will be informed in writing about the measure by mid-March. From March 16, the obligation to vaccinate will then become a “control offence”. Checks can then take place as part of controls, for example in road traffic. If someone is caught who is not vaccinated, they can expect to be reported from this point on. As soon as ELGA GmbH has created the technical prerequisites for data comparison, all those who have not been vaccinated will receive a reminder that they will be vaccinated. If it is epidemiologically necessary, the third phase will also come into force. Anyone who is then unable to produce a valid vaccination certificate on a vaccination deadline set by the government will receive an automated vaccination penalty order.
After the committee decision on Monday, the draft then moves to the plenary session of the National Council – the decision there is scheduled for next Thursday. A simple majority is enough for this, but the turquoise-green government tried to get broader approval. Despite some skepticism, the SPÖ and NEOS were won over to the project, only the FPÖ stuck to their well-known rejection.
In a press conference before the committee, the Freedom Party once again justified their rejection. “From our point of view, far too many questions are open and unanswered for this compulsory vaccination to come into force,” said the liberal health spokesman Gerhard Kaniak. The protest led by the FPÖ, among others, also had an effect. According to Kaniak, the government has weakened some of its plans.
“We have no justified interference with our fundamental rights,” said Susanne Fürst, spokeswoman for the FPÖ. The law also serves “in no way to protect health”, bringing unspecified “collateral damage” into the race. As an expert, the Freedom Party once again brought international law expert Michael Geistlinger to the podium, who had already questioned the Geneva Refugee Convention. His concerns center on the provisional approval of the vaccines, as a lot of data is still missing.
Source: Nachrichten
