As finance minister one should be saddled with numbers, but Gernot Blümel was not quite sure yesterday in parliament: he was confronted with the “meanwhile tenth motion of no confidence”, so his recapitulation. Yesterday, brought in by the SPÖ, was, according to his calculations, the seventh against him alone.
Blümel tried to present this as a routine exercise: It was the “right of the opposition” to use this instrument against the government or individual members: “So far, so unsurprisingly” is the opposition’s approach. The FPÖ yesterday also put a motion of no confidence in the entire government.
For SP budget spokesman Kai Jan Krainer, Blumel’s resignation is overdue: In the reason for the red request, he reminded of the Ibiza affair. After the video became known, the ÖVP forced the resignation of the blue coalition partner, at that time the presumption of innocence that had now been invoked was not accepted. Sebastian Kurz has now retired as Chancellor, but Blümel, as a confidante, is just as ready to resign, Krainer’s conclusion. Blümel let the allegations bounce off, he answered the urgent request of the SPÖ about the investigation into advertisements and referred once again to the examination of advertisements commissioned by the Ministry of Finance since 2015 by the internal audit.
“Wrong” rumors of resignation
He left the state party to deny the rumors of resignation due to tiredness in office in his dual role as finance minister and Vienna VP chief: Such speculations are “decidedly wrong”, according to a broadcast by the Vienna ÖVP. Blümel wants to demonstrate firmness today with the second budget for which he is responsible. After the corona pandemic in the previous year had thrown the budget for 2020 upside down before his budget speech, today’s budget speech should give a solid outlook for the coming year. The exact numbers were still under lock and key yesterday.
It is already known that due to the Corona, the health budget for 2022 is 1.2 billion euros above the original plan. Tax reform must also be factored in. The wage tax cut alone will cost 750 million euros. (yeah)
