Anyone expecting a meaningful explanation, transparency or perhaps even an apology from Wien Energie, the city of Vienna or anyone else was bitterly disappointed by Tuesday’s mayor’s statement. There was no trace of self-criticism, humility, or apology. Austria, you need a different culture of error!
The press conference, briefly summarized for you: Dear Viennese, please go ahead, there is nothing to see here and please leave us six to ten billion euros for the obligation to make additional payments from futures transactions. Thank you and Wienliebe, your city council.
The explanation: “The markets are crazy”
An answer to the question why Wien Energie sells three times as much electricity on the stock exchange as it produces itself – none. Why were two grants of 700 million euros each not immediately reported? Because of the summer holidays! Whether there should be personnel consequences? No, what do you think? The short conclusion of financial alderman Peter Hanke: “The markets are crazy”. That should suffice as an explanation.
It’s about decency!
But even if you leave the details aside and hope that in a few years the Court of Auditors will shed some light on Wien Energie’s financial woes: the greatest crime in history is the error culture, not even a trace, of everyone involved and the accidental shrugs , when it comes to the demand for six to ten billion euros of taxpayers’ money! This cannot be explained with complicated fluff of hedging, margin calls and margin calls. It’s about decency!
Why was Ludwig not at the crisis cabinet?
The fact that the Vienna city council did not appear at the crisis cabinet convened by the federal government on Sunday cannot be surpassed in terms of nonchalance. Anyone who wants money from the federal government because they miscalculated should at least put aside the partisan bickering and appear in person. Is setting aside the Sunday Roast in times of crisis really too much to ask?
Error culture is actually the minimum
Instead, we should be content with the recurring reassurance that all is well. This is boring. Because there is no shame in self-reflection and say, “Yes, we made a mistake and now we need help.” Especially not when it comes to a few billion. A glimmer of error culture is actually the least! But we Austrians are used to suffering.
Source: Krone
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