GP 360°: Fireside chat with Prof. Münch

As part of the GP 360° program, we welcomed Prof. Münch, Director of the Academy for Political Education in Tutzing, for a fireside chat at the Institute of General Practice on 21 September.

Together with her, we discussed the topic of "Committee work in health policy - who decides what goes on the agenda?". Prof. Münch introduced the topic with a short keynote speech. Starting with the special features of our political system in Germany, she then went on to discuss the various constitutional bodies of our democracy. She also highlighted current challenges such as climate policy, migration and the war in Ukraine. Prof. Münch concluded with the special features of our healthcare system and immediately moved on to a second key topic that we had defined in advance: investor-run medical care centers. After a brief historical outline of the history of MVZs and their advantages and disadvantages, we opened the discussion to the GPs and guests present and immediately entered into a lively debate on the extent to which medical care in rural areas is still secure today, which associations exert power over politicians and the legislative process, what role lobbyists play and whether the issue may not also be caused by a "generational conflict". Other questions included the rise of the AfD, the upcoming state elections in Bavaria and the influence of social media in political Berlin.

Once again, we would like to thank Prof. Münch for her comments, impulses and explanations. We are already looking forward to next Friday, September 29, when Prof. Münch will give the Hufeland Lecture as part of the DEGAM Annual Congress (German Society for General Practice and Family Medicine) in Berlin.