Parliament's responsibility lies in making sure that the outcomes of its activities are communicated to the European Parliament.
Germany's healthcare system stands out globally, with a unique approach that distinguishes it from other countries where state or private providers hold a dominant role. This diversity is reflected in the differing healthcare policies of the major political parties, as outlined below.
The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) traditionally emphasises fiscal conservatism and system stability. They prioritise maintaining a balanced budget for statutory health insurance while ensuring high-quality care. Their approach tends to be cautious regarding large public spending increases and focuses on efficiency within existing system structures.
On the other hand, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) advocates for a stronger role for the public sector in healthcare, advocating for more social protection measures, broader access, and increased investment in care—especially long-term care and social health services. They favour policies that reduce inequalities in health provision and increase public funding for hospitals and preventive care.
The Greens emphasise sustainability, prevention, and public health, including environmental and social determinants of health. They advocate for reforms towards more sustainable healthcare funding, integration of digital health technologies, and prioritizing long-term care with a focus on dignity and patient-centred approaches.
Historically, the SPD and the Greens have tended to push for progressive expansions in healthcare access and public protections, while the CDU/CSU has been seen as more cautious with public spending, focusing on efficiency and balancing budgets. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted these differences, with SPD and Greens often favouring more proactive public health measures and expenditures, whereas CDU/CSU initially showed hesitancy towards strict mandates but eventually supported key vaccination drives.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) and The Left present distinct yet contrasting perspectives. The AfD prioritises home care in nursing, with financial reward for home care significantly higher, and the rejection of nursing chambers as superfluous bureaucracy. The Left, on the other hand, calls for a fundamental system change in hospital financing, shifting away from case-based payments towards full coverage of operating costs, making profits and losses largely impossible. The Left also advocates for decriminalization and cannabis legalization, while strengthening prevention and counseling in drug policy.
Each party's ideological foundations and political priorities shape how they negotiate health policy at federal and state levels. The German healthcare policy is significantly shaped by a joint self-government, with crucial decisions made by health insurance funds, the medical profession, and other stakeholders.
1) The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens, with a focus on public health and social protection, advocate for increased investment in preventive care and long-term care, and push for policies that reduce inequalities in health provision, contrasting with the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) who prioritize fiscal conservatism and system stability, focusing on maintaining a balanced budget and ensuring high-quality care.
2) In terms of health-and-wellness, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) emphasizes home care in nursing, favoring financial incentives for home care and the rejection of nursing chambers as unnecessary bureaucracy, while The Left calls for a fundamental change in hospital financing, aiming to eliminate case-based payments and make profits and losses impossible, also advocating for decriminalization and cannabis legalization, and strengthening prevention and counseling in drug policy.
