"Represent the facts"

Ex-ELGA boss on stage with corona conspirators

Franz Leisch, former head of the health portal ELGA, responsible for the electronic health record

(Bild: Mirjam Reither)

The so-called RKI files - the published consultation protocols on coronavirus in Germany - have caused a lot of rumbling. Numerous redactions in them are grist to the mill of vaccination skeptics. A panel discussion on the protocols will also take place in Vienna on Tuesday evening. In addition to several conspirators, the former ELGA managing director is also taking part. He distances himself from the other participants.

The event, entitled "RKI files and coronavirus protocols in Vienna", is a get-together of well-known opponents of the coronavirus protection measures. The evening will be opened by German financial expert Stefan Homburg. He had brought the German government close to a dictatorship because of the Covid measures, had appeared at lateral thinking demonstrations during the pandemic and had accused the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which was in charge of developing protective measures, of "lies". Homburg also claims that there was no pandemic.

Wendler lawyer on the podium
Another participant is the German lawyer Markus Haintz, who is popular in the lateral thinker and corona sceptic scene and represents pop singer Michael Wendler, who has also spread conspiracy myths about corona.

The event is intended to be an "analysis from a professional, legal and political perspective".

(Bild: Telegram/aufarbeitung_corona)

Andreas Sönnichsen will also be on the panel: in 2020, he questioned the dangers of Covid-19 and called for an end to the measures. The Medical University of Vienna, where Sönnichsen worked at the Center for Public Health, distanced itself from his statements. When he later expressed his views publicly again, the university terminated the contract with the scientist, who also spoke out against the vaccination and issued online certificates of "vaccine fitness" .

Greens distance themselves from the association
The evening was organized by the GGI association, originally "Greens Against Compulsory Vaccination", now "Green Association for Fundamental Rights and Freedom of Information". Co-founder and well-known member is the former federal spokesperson for the Greens, Madeleine Petrovic. Her membership of the Greens has been suspended. The association also has nothing to do with the Greens, Green Party Club leader Sigrid Maurer told krone.tv in January. Petrovic will also be sitting on the podium that evening. In January 2022, Petrovic railed against compulsory vaccination at a demonstration and spread conspiracy myths.

I am on this panel to represent the side of science and facts.

Franz Leisch, Ex-Chef der ELGA GmbH

Also on the podium is the former managing director of ELGA GmbH, Franz Leisch. Leisch is now a digitalization expert at the health policy platform "Praevenire" and is a candidate on the SPÖ Lower Austria list for this year's National Council elections. krone.at reached Leisch on his way to the event in Vienna-Penzing.

"Find clear words"
He understands that the whole thing is "controversial", but wants to represent "the side of science and facts" at the event, he told krone.at. He would "find very clear words" for critical statements made by his discussion partners. Like them, he was against compulsory vaccination, but had always been in favor of the coronavirus vaccination. He also shares the view that not all measures were correct, according to Leisch. He also believes that the government has not done what is necessary to deal with the coronavirus crisis. 

Minister Rauch decrees "from above"
In 2022, the then head of ELGA had pointed out that the introduction of compulsory vaccination was not yet technically feasible and also not proportionate. The SPÖ was in favor of mandatory vaccination at the time, but he and other party members were outvoted, said Leisch. With compulsory vaccination, "we have lost the people", he said. Education was the only way to counteract this. Leisch was harshly critical of Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens). He said that he was prescribing measures "from above", which is why he was driving more and more people in an extreme direction. The same direction whose representatives will also be speaking on Tuesday evening.