While the Armed Forces are starting their performance show with morning sports on Heldenplatz, the Federal Government met a few meters further in the Chancellery for the traditional Special Council of Ministers. After that, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler will jointly contest the press foyer for the first time.
Video: Speech by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP)
A modern, interdepartmental situation center is to be built in the Ministry of the Interior, which will also continuously create situation reports. A separate government coordinator is also to take care of crisis prevention in the Federal Chancellery. Vienna. The key points of the new law were presented in a Council of Ministers lecture on today’s national holiday on the occasion of the Special Council of Ministers. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) spoke in a broadcast of the rules of the game in the event of a crisis – whether pandemic, blackout or hybrid threat scenarios.
As already foreseen in the government program, a new crisis management center is to be built: an interdepartmental federal situation center is being built in the fourth basement of the interior ministry. The planning will soon be completed, then the call for tenders will start. On more than two thousand square meters, up to three crises should be able to be dealt with at the same time. The Federal Situation Center is to be constantly in standby mode, and situation reports on the current situation, for example in the areas of energy, safety and health, are to be created.
Video: Speech by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens)
With the new law, crises and processes are to be legally defined for the first time, it said. The post of a separate government coordinator in the Federal Chancellery will also be created for crisis prevention.
Stronger role for the armed forces
The armed forces are to have a stronger, legally defined role in the event of a crisis: The armed forces are to create the possibility of securing the supply of systemically important goods, in particular medical and medical technology goods. In addition, in the event of a crisis, the Federal Armed Forces should be able to take measures for crisis prevention and management, such as protecting critical infrastructure or supporting the operational capability of the security authorities by providing self-sufficient and resilient barracks. “With this law, opportunities are now being created through which our army can help even faster and better,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).
“With the Crisis Security Act, we are creating a paradigm shift in the direction of more effective coordination of all areas of national security and crisis prevention,” said Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) with conviction in the broadcast. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) said it was about a comprehensive legal framework that would improve the coordination of the government, the responsible institutions, the emergency organizations and NGOs. “In the future, the crisis strategy will be based at the government level and the National Council will be more closely involved,” he assured him.
