Parliament's Corona Commission Has Been Initiated by the Federal Authority
The Bundestag has established a committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the Corona pandemic, with the aim of learning from the past and preparing for future crises. The committee, consisting of 14 members of parliament and 14 experts, was set up in July with a broad majority of Union, SPD, Greens, and Left.
The review is seen as an opportunity for democracy to regain trust and for societal reconciliation, according to Bundestag President Julia Klöckner. The acute pandemic began in 2020, and the last nationwide restrictions ended at Easter 2023.
The committee will have both public and non-public sessions and will look across all areas to see what worked well and where different decisions might have been made. The next meeting is scheduled for September 22, and it will meet once a month in principle.
Franziska Hoppermann was elected as the chairperson of the review committee. The experts nominated by the factions and involved in the committee's work are Sigrid Emmenegger (SPD), Ann-Katrin Kaufhold (SPD), and Günter Spinner (Union). The nomination is planned for September 22, with the election in the plenary on September 26, 2025.
Each faction nominated experts for the committee based on their party affiliations. Green faction leader Paula Piechotta aims for the interests of children, youth, single parents, the poor, the elderly, and the sick to be considered in future crisis decisions. AfD faction leader Kay-Uwe Ziegler identified "false assessment criteria" as a main topic to be clarified. For the Left, faction leader Ates Gürpinar considers the impact on the poorer part of the population as an important aspect to address.
The AfD criticized that their candidate for the deputy chair did not receive a majority in the committee vote. SPD faction leader Lina Seitzl emphasized the importance of public involvement in the review.
The review committee will prepare a report by mid-2027. The committee's work is seen as a great opportunity for democracy to regain trust and for societal reconciliation, according to Julia Klöckner.
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