The old and new ministers of health shake hands at the handover.
(Photo: AP)
Berlin Karl Lauterbach (SPD) always wanted to be – now he is too: The doctor is the new health minister of the Ampelkoalition. He starts his office with a nutcracker, a gift that the state secretary Thomas Steffen presented to him when he handed over his office on Wednesday. “You need an instrument case that enables you to crack very tough nuts,” said Steffen. He gave another nutcracker to the ministry. “Because we will only be able to crack these nuts together with the house,” he said, referring to the pandemic. Anyone who wanted to could hear a well-worded tip against the new minister, whom some critics describe as a little solitary.
Lauterbach, on the other hand, was happy to accept the template. “When Jens Spahn was just approached as a minister, I had the hope that he would continue,” he said in the atrium of the ministry. “Because the country can simply need two ministers.” The most important task is now to end the pandemic. In addition, the health system must be future-proof. “And the nutcracker is the house itself.” He puts “great emphasis on teamwork”.
Before that, Lauterbach took the oath of office with an oath to God in the Bundestag. Almost stormy, he ran to the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) – and gave the impression that he could hardly wait to finally get started. He is now the most important crisis minister in the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). How well Germany gets through the fourth wave depends on its success. “Usually a health minister can hope for a grace period,” said Lauterbach’s predecessor Spahn. “But nothing is normal.” Probably no handover has taken place under such difficult conditions.
Competent connoisseur of the German healthcare system
Lauterbach is under high pressure of expectation. Hardly anyone knows the depths of the German health system and the fight against the pandemic as well as he does. Already on Monday Lauterbach was in the video switch of the health ministers of the federal states. The question was whether tests could be dispensed with in the case of a booster vaccination. Lauterbach supported the project, which may surprise some who have seen him as a representative of the caution team so far.
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Lauterbach knows that he no longer speaks for himself, but also represents the interests of the traffic light partners. Without them, he cannot get a law through the Bundestag. While the Greens, like Lauterbach, advocate stricter corona measures and want to quickly implement a general vaccination requirement, the FDP is taking a much more cautious course. Lauterbach has to balance the different interests – and also take a step back.
Lauterbach is to receive support from three state secretaries who are well networked in parliament and in the health sector. From Sabine Dittmar, for example, she was previously a health policy spokesperson. In the past few weeks, she worked with the Greens and the FDP on the changes to the Infection Protection Act that were decided by the traffic light. That is one of the reasons why she was considered a candidate for the cabinet post until Monday. Dittmar is also a licensed doctor and ran a family doctor’s practice in Lower Franconia.
With Edgar Franke, Lauterbach has a second, experienced health expert at his side. Franke lost to Dittmar four years ago in the race for the post of health policy spokesman. Instead, he became the federal government’s victim commissioner and was Dittmar’s deputy as health policy spokesman. Previously, he headed the health committee. Unlike Lauterbach, the law graduate is more approachable.
In addition, Antje Draheim becomes a permanent state secretary. She was previously State Secretary in the Ministry of Health in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Her predecessor Steffen will stay with her for a few more months. Whether Draheim, Dittmar and Franke will accomplish their day’s work as inconspicuously as their predecessors also depends on the new minister. Spahn largely shielded his troop from the public – and concentrated all attention on himself. Nobody doubts that the permanent talk show guest Lauterbach will also be looking for the spotlight.
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