In current session
Minister after dismissal by Woidke: This is a “low point”
Updated 11/22/2024Reading time: 2 min.
Dispute over hospital reform: Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Woidke has fired his health minister. She was in favor of Lauterbach’s plans – but Woidke was against them.
Even before the decisive vote in the Federal Council on the controversial hospital reform, Prime Minister dietmar Woidke (SPD) fired his Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens). This is announced by the State Chancellery,previously reported by the ARD capital studio.
According to information from the ARD capital studio, Woidke wanted to prevent Nonnemacher from officially speaking out against calling in the mediation committee at the Federal Council meeting on hospital reform on Friday. The Federal Council has now passed the reform. Read more about this here.
Meanwhile, Nonnemacher herself has also spoken out – and described the process of her dismissal as unique in the country. “I regret this low point in political culture,” said Nonnemacher at the Ministry of Health in Potsdam. She received her written dismissal in the Federal Council hallway.
The fact that Prime Minister Woidke fired her before she could give her planned speech in the Federal Council also came as a surprise to her, said the Green Party.Before the meeting in the Federal council, there was a conflict with the Prime Minister in the coalition round about the voting behavior on the hospital reform.
Government spokesman Florian Engels told the dpa news agency that a hospital conference on Wednesday in the State Chancellery showed that the vast majority of practitioners and municipalities had made a clear and very well-founded plea for the Federal Council to be referred to the mediation committee.
Prime Minister Woidke also represents this position – unlike Health Minister Nonnemacher. With this “diverging voting behavior,” Brandenburg’s votes would have been invalid, said the government spokesman about Woidke’s decision.
Nonnemacher would have left office in a few days anyway.The SPD and BSW are currently negotiating a new government coalition. The current state government made up of the SPD, CDU and Greens is only in office in an acting capacity. The Green Minister has done a lot of crisis management since 2019 – in the corona pandemic and in the fight against swine fever. Even during Corona times,she and Woidke sometimes disagreed.
What Woidke wanted to prevent happened to the Thuringian government: the state voted inconsistently in the vote on whether the mediation committee should be referred to the hospital reform.
Initially, head of the State Chancellery Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left) voted in favor of calling the mediation committee – but Economics Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD) contradicted this vote. Federal Council President Anke Rehlinger (SPD) then noted that Thuringia had voted inconsistently and the vote was considered invalid.
The Federal Council cleared the way for the controversial hospital reform despite Woidke’s action. The state chamber allowed the law passed by the traffic light coalition in the Bundestag to reorganize the clinics.
The aim of the reform is to reduce the financial pressure on clinics and to achieve greater specialization in more complicated treatments. For this purpose, the remuneration should be changed with flat rates for treatment cases. In the future, clinics should recieve 60 percent of the remuneration for providing certain offers.
The basis for financing by the health insurance companies should also be new “performance groups”. They should describe the respective clinic treatments in more detail and ensure uniform nationwide quality standards.
– What are the key points of the hospital reform debate in Brandenburg that led to Ursula Nonnemacher’s dismissal?
Interview between Time.news Editor and Political Analyst on Recent Hospital Reform Dispute in Brandenburg
Editor: Welcome to Time.news! Today, we are diving into the important political shake-up in Brandenburg following the recent dismissal of Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher by Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke. To unpack this event, we have political analyst Dr. Anna Müller with us. Thank you for joining us, Anna.
Dr. Müller: Thank you for having me. it’s great to be here.
Editor: Let’s start with the basics. Can you provide some context around the hospital reform debate in Brandenburg that led to Nonnemacher’s dismissal?
Dr. Müller: Certainly. The hospital reform, spearheaded by federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, aims to address critical issues in the German healthcare system, including hospital funding and patient care limits. Nonnemacher supported these reforms,believing they would improve healthcare services. However,Woidke,representing a more cautious approach,opposed this agenda,leading to significant tension between the state government and federal proposals.
Editor: So, it seems there’s a clear divide in opinion. Woidke’s decision to fire Nonnemacher just before the Federal Council vote appears quite abrupt. What are the implications of this move?
Dr. Müller: This dismissal is indeed a major political statement. Woidke aimed to ensure alignment within his government, notably in time for the crucial Federal Council meeting. By removing Nonnemacher, he not only silenced dissent but also signaled his firm stance against the federal government’s healthcare strategy. This could be seen as a ‘low point’ in terms of collaboration between state and federal governments, as Woidke prioritizes his agenda over party cohesion.
Editor: Nonnemacher has publicly responded to her dismissal. What is her outlook on this situation, and how does it reflect broader issues within the political landscape?
Dr. Müller: Nonnemacher’s comments indicate that she feels her removal was more about political maneuvering than about the policies themselves. This situation underscores a struggle between idealistic positions, like hers, which favor reform and improvement, and pragmatic political strategies that prioritize stability and control.It reflects a larger trend where personal and party politics often overshadow substantive policy discussions.
Editor: With Nonnemacher’s dismissal and the Federal Council’s approval of the reform, what are the next steps for both woidke and the healthcare system in Brandenburg?
Dr. Müller: For Woidke, maintaining support within his party and managing the fallout from this political upheaval is critical. He must also address public concerns that may arise from his decision. as for the healthcare system, the approved reforms present both challenges and opportunities, as they could mean significant changes in hospital funding and operation. How these reforms are implemented will largely depend on the cooperation between state and federal bodies going forward.
Editor: It sounds like we are at a pivotal moment. Any final thoughts on how this might impact public perception of the government in Brandenburg?
Dr. Müller: Absolutely. The dismissal could lead to a loss of trust among voters if they perceive it as a politically charged move rather than a strategic one aimed at bettering healthcare. Transparency and communication will be key as the new dynamics unfold. If Woidke can effectively advocate for the reforms while addressing the concerns of his constituents, he may turn this situation into a moment of positive change. If not, it could backfire significantly.
Editor: Thank you, Dr. Müller, for shedding light on this complex situation. We look forward to seeing how this unfolds in Brandenburg and the wider implications for German politics.
Dr. Müller: Thank you for having me. It’s an important issue to keep watching!