Axel Melchior is one of Sebastian Kurz’s closest confidants. As VP General Secretary, it is Melchior’s task to uncompromisingly represent the turquoise line to the outside world and, in particular, to underline its advantages in comparison with the concerns of the opposition.
After the chat protocols that cost Kurz his chancellor job became known, Melchior demonstratively stood behind Kurz in several broadcasts and shot himself at the opposition. Yesterday, however, he directed his criticism to the coalition partner. He “regrets that the current events in the federal government at the party congress of the Vienna Green Party were not presented precisely,” said Melchior.
Green Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler had at this party conference on Saturday and in several interviews over the weekend, the steadfastness of his party in calling for Kurz ?? Retreat defended. What emerged in the chats was “completely clear”, the Greens could not have stood idly by and stayed with Kurz in the coalition. In particular, Kogler criticized the news about the tipping over of the expansion of all-day care in schools.
Melchior didn’t want to let that go: these chats were “only about the People’s Party’s no to the SPÖ’s idea of a compulsory all-day school” and about “more money for the federal states”.
This turquoise-green infight shows that the coalition is still on clayey feet despite the takeover of Alexander Schallenberg (VP) in the Chancellery and the joint decision on tax reform in the previous week. At least both sides have recently announced confidence-building measures: Schallenberg in the OÖN interview about a “get-together” of the two government teams after the national holiday Government work plays. A long meeting is to take place this week, says Kogler, who has hope of constructive cooperation with Kurz: “It has to be like that,” he said.
VP crash in surveys
In fact, the ÖVP is not likely to have any interest in the collapse of the government at the moment, especially since several polls predict a dramatic fall in new elections: According to the Unique Research poll for the “profile”, the VP would come to 25 percent with Schallenberg, the SPÖ would be on par, the FPÖ between 18 and 19 percent. The Greens are reported with 14 percent, the Neos between eleven and twelve percent. In an OGM survey for the “Kurier”, the ÖVP came to 26 percent, the SPÖ to 24 percent, the FPÖ followed just behind with 21 percent, the Greens and Neos came in at twelve percent each.
