Corona dispute: German government sharply rejects accusations by US Health Secretary Kennedy
Corona dispute: German government sharply rejects accusations by US Health Secretary Kennedy
The statements of US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy on Germany's corona policy have triggered clear reactions in Berlin. Kennedy had publicly criticized the fact that the autonomy of patients had been restricted in Germany during the pandemic. This account is firmly rejected by the Federal Government.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken said that her counterpart's accusations were factually inaccurate and without any basis. There are no state measures that have overridden the freedom of medical therapy or the freedom of choice of patients.
Kennedy had previously stated on Platform X that reports from Germany suggested that state agencies had influenced medical decisions politically. He said that he had sent a letter to Warken for this reason. He also called on Germany to end what he sees as politically motivated prosecutions and to respect fundamental democratic rights.
In particular, Kennedy claimed that more than a thousand doctors and numerous patients had been prosecuted for allowing exceptions to mask or vaccination regulations. This endangers the relationship of trust between doctors and patients.
Warken clearly contradicted this. In Germany, the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of medical therapy applies. Doctors decide on treatments on their own responsibility. The catalogue of benefits of the statutory health insurance is based on scientific evidence and is not politically determined. Patients are also free to decide which medical measures they want to use.
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In addition, Warken clarified that at no time during the Corona pandemic was there an obligation for doctors to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations. Anyone who did not offer vaccinations for medical, ethical or personal reasons was not liable to prosecution. There were neither occupational bans nor fines for failure to vaccinate.
Criminal investigations were only carried out in cases in which there were specific criminal offences - such as fraud or forgery of documents. These included, among other things, forged vaccination certificates or inaccurate mask certificates. These proceedings were conducted by independent courts and were not politically motivated.
Former Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also reacted to Kennedy's accusations. He pointed out that in Germany, neither the government nor politics decide on criminal proceedings against doctors, but independent courts. At the same time, he referred to structural differences between the health systems of the two countries.
The public exchange of blows illustrates the ongoing internationally controversial debate about state measures, individual freedoms and medical responsibility during the Corona pandemic.
Demands of the Alternative for Germany to come to terms with Corona
The AfD is calling for a comprehensive parliamentary and legal review of Corona policy in Germany. The key points are:
1. Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry
- Review of the decision-making processes in the federal and state governments
- Role of ministries, RKI, PEI, Ethics Council and crisis teams
- Clarification of who decided
when and on what data basis 2. Disclosure of all Corona files
- Release of internal protocols, e-mails and notes
- Transparency of political instructions to authorities
- Publication of previously redacted documents
3. Role of science & advisory bodies
- Examination of whether scientific opinions have been used selectively
- Dealing with divergent expert assessments Influence
- of political targets on scientific assessments
4. Measures & Encroachments on Fundamental Rights
- Legal Review of:
- Lockdowns School and Daycare Center
- Closures Exit and Contact Restrictions
- Proportionality and Alternatives
Vaccination Policy & Liability
- Issues Evaluation of Vaccination Recommendations and Campaigns
- Handling of Side Effect Reports
- Demand for Compensation for Vaccine Victims
- Clarification of exemptions from liability for manufacturers
6. Media & public communication
- Role of public service media
- One-sided reporting and exclusion of critical voices
- Dealing with disinformation and accusations of censorship
Central points of contention in the Corona reappraisal
This is where the political and social conflict ignites:
- Was the data situation sufficient for tough measures?
- Were risks and side effects openly communicated?
- Was there political pressure on science and authorities?
- Were critics unjustly defamed or sanctioned?
- Have fundamental rights been permanently damaged?
Other parties acknowledge the need to come to terms with the past, but often reject
- committees of inquiry
- apportion blame for
- legal consequences
and instead speak of "learning for future crises".
Demands of alternative organisations & initiatives
In addition to the AfD, civil society, medical and legal groups are also calling for a more far-reaching reappraisal:
1. Doctors' and science initiatives
- Independent reassessment of measures
- Separation of science and politics
- Rehabilitation of critical doctors and researchers
2. Legal organisations & lawyers
- Examination of:
- Violations of fundamental rights
- Occupational bans
- Fines and criminal proceedings
- Revocation or compensation in the event of unlawful judgments
3. Citizens' and fundamental rights initiatives
- Public truth commissions
- Recognition of social damages:
- psychological stress
- Educational deficits
- Economic livelihoods
- Official apologies from the state and institutions
4. Vaccine-critical and patient organizations
- Recognition and better care of vaccine-injured people
- Transparency in safety data
- End of blanket stigmatization
Core conflict in one sentence
The dispute is no longer about the virus itself, but about responsibility, transparency, fundamental rights and the question of whether political mistakes were made must be openly named and consequences drawn.
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Author. Tom Weyermann / MF-Redaktion
Sources: News and information AfD
