Green Party Congress Votes to Ban Homeopathy, Anthroposophy, and many Herbal Medicines: Greens Sacrifice “Globuli” Under Pressure from the Anti-Homeopathy Lobby
Source: Heilpraktiker-Newsblog.de, December 01, 2025
Hannover, November 28 – At 9:58 p.m., Germany’s Green Party delegates at their national convention made a decision that could significantly affect access to complementary medicine for around 30 million people in Germany if the party returns to government.
Delegates voted by a clear majority in favor of the Berlin Tempelhof-Schöneberg district association’s motion No. VR-02 to end reimbursement of homeopathic treatments by public health insurance and to “revise” the so-called Binnenkonsens (internal consensus) — effectively abolishing it. Abolishing this legal framework would amount to a ban on homeopathy, anthroposophy, and parts of phytotherapy being recognized as medicines once the Greens are in power again.
The Binnenkonsens, introduced into the Medicines Act in the 1970s, provides the legal basis for recognizing special therapeutic directions such as homeopathy, anthroposophy, and herbal medicine. Without it, these products would lose their legal status as medicines and disappear from pharmacies — around 7,500 complementary medicinal products, roughly 7.5% of all pharmacy-available preparations, would be affected.
Video of the Decision
A video recording of the party congress, including the vote on agenda item VR-02, can be found on YouTube (from 5:37:20 to 6:22:25). The recording shows procedural debates, a rejected executive board motion, and then the final vote accepting the Berlin anti-homeopathy and anti-anthroposophy motion, greeted by cheers from the delegates.
We need your opinion
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Analysis by Christian J. Becker, Editor of Homoeopathiewatchblog.de
For the first time in its 45-year history, the Green Party has taken a hard confrontational stance against homeopathy and its 30 million users in Germany. The adopted motion outlines a roadmap to dismantle the fundamental legal framework of homeopathic care.
According to the adopted text, two main actions will follow:
- Removal of homeopathy from the list of benefits covered by statutory health insurance.
- De facto abolition of the Binnenkonsens.
Although officially worded as a “revision,” removing this legal provision would automatically eliminate the licensing and pharmacy status of homeopathic, anthroposophic, and many herbal preparations — essentially banning about 7,500 complementary medicines.
Consequences for Patients, Practitioners, and Manufacturers
Patients, physicians, naturopaths, pharmacists, and producers would all be affected. Complementary remedies widely used alongside conventional medicine would no longer be available through pharmacies or even prescribed legally. Importing such unapproved products from abroad would also expose doctors and practitioners to personal liability.
Without the Binnenkonsens, complementary therapies would be pushed into unregulated markets, undermining quality control, safety, and transparency.
Manufacturers would face the near-impossible task of applying for new approvals under standard pharmaceutical rules. Many would have to cease production. This could lead to the disappearance of 7,500 available remedies from pharmacies. In Baden-Württemberg alone, 13 companies producing homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines employ over 3,000 people, with a combined turnover of about €550 million — 7.5% of the regional pharmaceutical industry’s revenue.
In 2024, the overall market for special therapies such as homeopathy, anthroposophy, and herbal medicine grew by 5.9% to around €2.5 billion in sales. Homeopathy accounted for €600 million in self-medication and €75 million in doctor prescriptions. Public insurers spent around €22 million on homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies in 2021 — just 0.03% of their total €55 billion drug expenditure.
Political Impact: Greens Align with the Anti-Homeopathy Lobby
The Green Party’s internal debate over homeopathy has now been settled. The “anti-homeopathy” direction dominates, with remaining supporters losing influence. The Green Network for Evidence-Based Policy — an internal group of parliamentarians and officials — has played a key role in shaping this policy, supported by public figures such as Natalie Grams. Their shared agenda includes opposition to homeopathy and preference for genetic technology and evidence-based reforms.
If the Greens enter government again — possibly as early as 2026 or by 2029 at the latest — they are expected to implement the new anti-homeopathy program step by step. Similar motions from the SPD could also gain momentum following this decision.
Communication Strategy and Internal Tactics
Critics claim the party leadership’s official motion intentionally used vague bureaucratic language like “revising the Binnenkonsens” to disguise the far-reaching implications. Behind this technical wording lies the elimination of the legal framework underpinning three therapeutic systems. Delegates unfamiliar with pharmaceutical law might not have realized the full consequences when they voted.
Adding to the controversy, a clearer amendment by Green politician Dorothea Kaufmann was withdrawn shortly before the congress. Her version openly stated the end of pharmacy status for homeopathy and anthroposophy — a directness the leadership may have wanted to avoid to minimize resistance.
Reactions from the Homeopathy Community
Despite the outcome, many homeopathy supporters identified the strategy and mobilized quickly. The Fachverband Deutscher Heilpraktiker (FDH), Germany’s largest naturopath association, launched public protest campaigns, while media outlets such as Homoeopathiewatchblog.de and Heilpraktiker-Newsblog.de informed practitioners and patients, providing materials and guidance for political engagement.
Outlook
Although this is a serious setback for supporters of complementary medicine, the decision is not yet law. The homeopathy community remains determined to stay united and active. Past political efforts, such as Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s anti-homeopathy bill, were ultimately defeated — a sign that the future of homeopathy in Germany remains uncertain.
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