Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is calling for a reform of the organ donation regulations in Germany – and is also making private statements about this.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is in favor of an opt-out solution for organ donation – and tells a personal story together with his wife. It is “a contradiction if we reject the opt-out solution in our own country and at the same time gladly accept organs from other countries. We see ourselves as responsible, mature citizens, which is why we can demand of ourselves that we make a decision,” Steinmeier told the magazine “Bunte” in a joint interview with his wife Elke Büdenbender.
So far, people in Germany have not been sufficiently convinced to speak out for or against organ donation, said the Federal President. At the same time, however, the Eurotransplant network is benefiting from the significantly higher willingness to donate in other European countries.
Steinmeier: Donations must remain voluntary
No one wants to force anyone to donate organs after death, “it is voluntary and must remain voluntary.” However, many people die every year “who would not have to die if organs were available,” said Steinmeier.
Currently, organ removal in Germany is only permitted with explicit consent. In some countries, however, the opt-out solution applies: the removal of organs after death is permitted, provided that no explicit objection is made during one’s lifetime.
A first attempt to introduce an opt-out solution failed in the Bundestag in 2020. In the struggle for more life-saving organ donations, several members of the Bundestag presented a new cross-party initiative to introduce an opt-out regulation in June.
Büdenbender: My husband’s kidney is part of me
According to Büdenbender, many people hesitate to “consider their own mortality and therefore postpone a decision about organ donation.” She can understand that well. In 2010, the Federal President donated a kidney to his wife. When their daughter Merit was born in 1996, Büdenbender suffered total kidney failure, and 14 years later a transplant was necessary, the couple said.
“As someone affected, I can say: the donation gave me a life. I think that you can convince people through informative discussions,” said the judge and First Lady. Immediately after the birth of their daughter, it was clear to her husband that he wanted to donate his kidney. Today, her husband’s organ is “a part of me.”
Source: Stern
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