Image: (APA/ROBERT JAEGER)
A reunion
The practice of sending officials to Brussels who have sometimes become inconvenient but often need to be taken care of because of their loyal service has a long tradition in Austria, which is a contradiction to the high and growing importance of the EU as a decision-making level. The appeal of national and state politics is greater in the parties. This is how it happened that Andreas Schieder was initially SP club chairman, then lost to Michael Ludwig in the mayoral duel in Vienna and has been sitting in the EU Parliament since 2019 – where the SP top candidate will soon be able to celebrate a reunion with an old acquaintance after this Brussels election . After all, Reinhold Lopatka was his VP counterpart in the National Council in more powerful days.
First violin
The criticism that the parties only send discarded staff to the EU Parliament in Brussels is as old as the EU itself. And yes, there have of course been examples that feed this story.
On the other hand, a number of politicians from Austria have also earned an excellent reputation at the European level: Maria Berger and Paul Rübig from Upper Austria, Othmar Karas, Hannes Swoboda, Franz Fischler, Johannes Voggenhuber, etc.
So Europe is not a sideline, on the contrary. But different qualities are required on the EU stage than in national parliaments; the work is generally more fact-oriented and quick appearances don’t work here. In truth, the first fiddle is played here.
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