According to the Tao Te Ching, today, when the new crown virus has swept through Germany, who will serve as the next minister of health has always been a topic of public concern. Today (6 December), the boots finally landed: Prime Minister-designate Scholz announced the nomination of KARL Lauterbach, a member of the SPD, as the next minister of health.
Pedestrians pass by the billboard of Schoertz, the candidate for the social democratic party for the prime minister, on the streets of Berlin on September 26. Scholz's SpD Party then won the election. China News Service reporter Peng Dawei photographed
When it comes to Lauterbach's name, people may not be unfamiliar. During the epidemic, Lauterbach has repeatedly made remarks on epidemic prevention issues and participated in talk shows on related topics many times. As a medical professor and a federal parliamentarian, he can be described as an out-and-out "Internet celebrity expert". For this nomination, Prime Minister-designate Scholz said it was important that the COVID-19 pandemic was not over, and that many Germans wanted the next health minister to be an expert: "His name is Karl Lauterbach, and he will do well." ”
The decision to nominate Lauterbach as Minister of Health was unanimously praised by all parties. CDU politician Norbert Röttgen welcomed the arrangement: "Based on his personality, wisdom and commitment, Lauterbach has gained incredible trust in society. Janosch Dahmen, a health expert with the Green Party, also said Lauterbach's expertise and scientific approach would be of great help to the executive branch in fighting the epidemic.
It was the medical community that rejoiced most from this decision. Dirk Heinrich, president of the Virchowbund Institute of Residents, said appointing Lauterbach as health minister was a correct choice during the fight against the pandemic: "Science is the natural enemy of populism, so we can only defeat this epidemic by relying on facts and decisive action." ”
However, as health minister, Lauterbach is bound to face more pressure from opponents. Lauterbach has long advocated stricter restrictions in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. He often appeared in the media and became a thorn in the eyes of "new crown deniers" and "anti-epidemic measures". It is reported that someone once sent a test strip showing a positive covid-19 to Lauterbach. In an interview, Lauterbach also confessed that he was worried about the safety of his children. Today, criticism of Lauterbach's health minister comes mainly from the AfD, whose parliamentary caucus, Alice Weidel, has said that "this is really bad for Germany." ”
After becoming health minister, Lauterbach may have a hard time participating in talk shows as often as usual. Just yesterday, Lauterbach participated in the famous German talk show "Anne Will". In the show, Lauterbach expressed his support for the obligation to vaccinate, saying: "Without the obligation to vaccinate, we cannot succeed. In a brief statement as a member of the new cabinet, Lauterbach said he would make the health system stronger, Germany would eventually win the fight against the epidemic, and vaccines were the current "way out". It is not known how Lauterbach's promise will be fulfilled, but it is conceivable that the new health minister will strive to implement stricter epidemic prevention policies.
As of today, the list of cabinet members of the Scholz government has been largely released, and of the 17 members, women account for 8:
German Chancellor: Olaf Scholz, SPD
Head of the Chancellery: Wolfgang Schmidt, SPD
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Climate Protection: Robert Habeck, Greens
Finance Minister: Christian Lindner, Liberal Democratic Party
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Annalena Baerbock, Green Party
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs: Hubertus Heil, SPD
Minister of Justice: Marco Buschmann, Liberal Democratic Party
Minister of the Family: Anne Spiegel, Greens
Minister of Transport and Digitalization: Volker Wissing, LDP
Minister of Health: Karl Lauterbach, SPD
Minister of Defence: Christina Lambrecht, SPD
Minister of the Environment: Steffi Lemke, Greens
Minister of Education: Bettina Stark-Watzinger, LDP
Minister of the Interior: Nancy Faeser, SPD
Minister of Construction: Klara Geywitz, SPD
Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development: Svenja Schulze, SPD
Minister of Agriculture: Cem Özdemir, Green Party
(Original title: German News | "Internet celebrity expert" as health minister! List of cabinet members of the new German government)