Mayor Halsema believes that a fundamental debate must first be held before a decision is made about the introduction of a vaccination obligation. “The Constitution is written this way for a reason: the protection of the individual against the omnipotence of the state,” she said this afternoon in Buitenhof. “You can deviate if the crisis is big enough, but think about it very carefully.”
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Halsema emphasized that the decision on the introduction of the vaccination obligation rests with the House of Representatives, and therefore did not want to say whether she is in favor or against. She did, however, make two comments.
“To the left or to the right, a vaccination obligation has a major impact on the individual fundamental rights of people,” said the mayor. “It may be in a crisis that reversing the collective danger outweighs individual fundamental rights. But I do think that you should have a fundamental debate about that.”
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She also believes that it is necessary to investigate how effective such a measure is. “Because if the effect is that its introduction causes the people who have not yet been vaccinated to turn away further, then the question is whether it works.”
Halsema is concerned about rising tensions and wants to prevent further polarization from occurring. “I don’t think it helps us to think in dichotomy. Pointing the finger at each other isn’t going to help us.”
2G measure
Halsema further said that she has reservations about the possible introduction of the 2G measure. “The enforceability of that is very complicated.” When asked how many police and enforcement officers would be needed to enforce 2G, she says: “I have no idea. But once these measures are introduced, the retail sector, the hospitality industry and the people themselves are responsible for compliance. the first check. We enforce excesses and repeated violations.”
National think tank
Halsema also argued for a national think tank. “Place different people from different disciplines side by side to think about scenarios.” She hopes that this will allow better thinking about the long term, because corona will remain with us for a long time to come.
When asked who should lead such a think tank, she said she was thinking of names such as former AMC director Marcel Levi or director of the Social and Cultural Planning Office Kim Putters. “I think there is plenty of brainpower in the Netherlands.”
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