FDP to propose parliamentary inquiry committee on Corona in the next legislative period
“We would also present representatives of all 16 federal states and question them about their Corona regulations” said the faction leader Christian Dürr in a response to the “World” (Wednesday’s edition).
During the current legislative period, the Liberals had initially spoken out in favor of a committee of inquiry to process the pandemic. However, in light of the new revelations about mask deals and the political influence on the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), such a committee was no longer sufficient, said FDP health policy expert Andrew Ullmann.
Meanwhile, the SPD blames their former coalition partner for the failure of the talks on setting up a committee of inquiry. “The FDP has consistently refused a comprehensive investigation from the start” said the deputy faction leader Dirk Wiese.
After the Social Democrats and Liberals failed to agree on how the states should participate in the inquiry, the SPD made a last proposal in the health committee just before the collapse of the coalition: the planned new “Federal Institute of Public Health” (BIÖG) could, with the support of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Advisory Council on Health and Long-Term Care, and independent experts, prepare an evaluation of the pandemic by June 2025.
“It should not only examine the burden of illness, but also questions of mental health and potential consequences of not using medical services, post-infectious diseases, or side effects of vaccinations” is stated in an amendment that the “World” reported on and which was also supported by the Greens.
However, the FDP did not go along with this. “I would have had nothing against a Corona investigation by the BIÖG, as long as it was parallel to a parliamentary investigation” said Dürr. “I consider a BIÖG investigation as unsuitable, as the executive would then be controlling itself.