Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) had previously been sworn in as Minister of Agriculture after he had failed last week due to the corona. SPÖ and FPÖ demanded new elections, a motion of no confidence from the Freedom Party did not find a majority.
In the plenum, Nehmamer thanked the two departed heads of department, i.e. Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) and Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP), who had represented their minister with full commitment. In the face of many attacks on the two, Kogler urged respect for the exercise of the offices, for the struggle for decisions and especially for each other. The Green leader praised Köstinger and her fight for farmers against the retail groups.
Nehammer focused on the reorganization of the government in his speech: “We have brought together what we believe belongs together.” There is a clearly structured Ministry of Agriculture, which is particularly important in times of the Ukraine war and the associated question of food supply, civilian service complements the youth agendas and digitization comes to the Federal Data Center in the Ministry of Finance. Anticipating attacks by the opposition, the chancellor promised that the consequences of inflation would not be entirely avoided, but that they would alleviate them as much as possible.
Minister of Labor Martin Kocher (ÖVP), as head of department for the economy, has now emphasized that Austria is going into difficult times with good economic figures. He also sees the fact that his competencies are being pooled as an opportunity. We have already cooperated closely in the past, and now many things can be done more stringently and quickly.
Totschnigg emphasized food supply, bark beetle control, animal protection
Totschnig emphasized that the food supply in Austria was secured even in difficult times and that it should remain so with him. He outlined the challenging framework conditions in agriculture, starting with the bark beetle. He also emphasized the stronger focus on animal and environmental protection while at the same time becoming more competitive. After all, he wants to further improve equal opportunities between town and country.
Van der Bellen: “Example that the virus does not sleep”
Totschnig made his first big appearance early in the morning: “I’m glad you’ve recovered,” Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen greeted him in the Hofburg after surviving the corona infection. In contrast to Digital State Secretary Florian Tursky, Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler and Minister of Labor Kocher, Totschnig surprisingly could not be sworn in last Wednesday because he had tested positive for Corona. Van der Bellen saw Totschnig’s corona infection as an “impressive example that the virus doesn’t sleep”.
Kraus-Winkler: “Put everything in motion for the recovery of tourism”
There were also brief introductions from the other newcomers. Kraus-Winkler promised to set everything in motion for the recovery of tourism in Austria, Tursky promised gigabit data connections for the whole of Austria by 2030. Secretary of State for Youth Claudia Plakolm, who is now also responsible for civil service and voluntary work, thanked Nehammer for the increased trust.
Unfriendly reception
The newcomers were received unfriendly by the opposition, and the FPÖ and SPÖ in particular stood out. SP vice club boss Jörg Leichtfried announced a new election application that should be assigned to the constitutional committee. In this, the government is accused of failure to fight inflation, incompetence and chaos in pandemic management and a standstill in future tasks. The government is no longer capable of acting, and a new, stable and capable of acting can only exist after new elections, it said.
The FPÖ has submitted a similar application for some time and has now insisted on setting a deadline for it. Club boss Herbert Kickl said the government was “a flea circus, the purest mess,” and its only cement its fear of elections and punishment by the population. “This election day will be the day of the great reckoning, that’s what I’m prophesying to you today,” he said. The FPÖ would have preferred to have got rid of the government today, which is why they submitted a motion of no confidence against the entire cabinet, which, however, was not supported by any other faction.
NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger recalled the large number of recent government reshuffles. “This federal government must finally deliver,” she said. The NEOS would do their part constructively in the opposition.
On the part of the governing factions, ÖVP club leader August Wöginger saw the speed of the reshuffle alone as proof of the coalition’s ability to act. Leichtfried may “stay there” with his new election application, because “we will play this second half to the end”.
Green club chairwoman Sigrid Maurer aimed primarily at Kickl. “It’s extremely good that you’re no longer sitting on the government bench,” she said, and it was courageous when Kickl in particular complained about the abuse of the institutions and – as a student who dropped out twice – about the lack of qualifications. “You’re really mouthing about all the crimes you’ve already committed in this country,” said Maurer. “You should restrain yourself in your statements.”
Source: Nachrichten
