German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/48, pp.
5115-5116.
Frau President. Right honorable ladies and gentlemen.
Frau Werner, I really must say: That was just a typical
political speech. One hears, everything rushes past, and afterwards one
asks: What then did she actually say? Since
what therein was concrete?
Lena Werner
(SPD): Then you need to listen!
Johannes Fechner (SPD): Yet that can lie with you!
So there was nothing concrete there. To that extent,
colleague Jarzombek is quite right: We urgently need a new start. The government
– we have heard it today – has here apparently done no forward thinking.
Ladies and gentlemen, it has already been said: Germany
formerly was the world’s pharmacy. It could be re-filled with Nobel prizes. Not
far from here at the Humboldt Universität – formerly called the
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität – it rained Nobel prizes. Today, the Humboldt Universität
shines – “shines’ in quotes – in left-wing organizations’ hindering of natural
science lectures. You for once need to clarify that, ladies and gentlemen. And
that is only the tip of the iceberg. We unfortunately need to confirm: In
Germany, there no longer prevails a good climate for free science and research.
Now to the CDU/CSU’s motion. You have, ja, many times said what we also find to be correct, that we need
to strengthen Germany as a venue. The instrument which you now put forward is
however a special European one which is not only for the areas of biotechnology
or health research but with which we have already had experience in other areas. Perhaps you have
also taken note of the criticism made of this European distribution mechanism.
For example, the German chamber of industry and commerce warns of – I cite – a “subventions
squandering”. In that regard, we should reconsider when tax money should flow
into an area in which in a previous time gigantic profits were nevertheless
made.
Nevertheless, let us take a look: You have just now rightly
made mention of the firm BioNTech – which belongs to Pfizer. How then does it
look? In 2021 for BioNTech alone, the net profit was 10.3 billion euros. Ladies
and gentlemen, was that not also money which should flow into research? It also
needs to be asked: Can it be right that the taxpayer steadily promotes such businesses
when they are in formation, yet then will forget to conclude the corresponding
contract so something of this risk capital also again flows back? No private
risk capital investor would do that. Unfortunately, with our tax money it will
so proceed. This is precisely a form of subvention which cannot be right,
ladies and gentlemen.
Thomas Jarzombek (CDU/CSU): That’s not right! We have participated in venture capital. Herr colleague, in the Lufthansa we have earned one billion for the taxpayer!
Let us also cast a glance at the German promotion practice.
I sometime ago placed an inquiry and the result was interesting. The Federal
government confirmed and conceded that 90 percent of research money levied from
the German taxpayer flows to foreign or international firms and projects. Those are mostly larger firms. The smaller,
here nationally anchored firms, the KMU, generally go away empty-handed. For
them, the application procedure alone is too complicated. Here also we urgently
need to reconsider our promotion practice so as to only promote that which
needs a promotion, ladies and gentlemen.
Let me in concluding say one thing: Certainly the pandemic
has shown that, when it becomes serious, each is closest to himself. We have
seen that in regards the masks. We have seen that in regards the vaccine distribution.
One thing I believe is also important for us in times which perhaps are
somewhat relaxed: We need to again learn to think and to act nationally. All
other countries do that, and we also should do that, ladies and gentlemen.
Many thanks.
[trans: tem]
