From the outside, Austria is always a Punch and Judy show. This is evidenced by the anticipatory and retrospective critique of Nehammer’s trip to Kiev and Moscow. It’s just not funny at all anymore.
When the chancellor left to visit Zelenskij and Klitschko, the opposition scolded that the solidarity visit to Ukraine contradicted Austria’s neutrality. FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl has even belittled the chancellor as a “Klitschko fanboy”. When it became known that Nehammer would also travel to Moscow, Russia expert Gerhard Mangott said the chancellor delivered “great television images” to Putin.
diversionary maneuvers?
But there were no pictures at all, neither at the beginning of the meeting nor after. No press conference, no handshake. Of course the political opponents knew why. Since Nehammer could spread his own story. But the darkest explanation came from Peter Pilz. Nehammer’s travels were an “escape attempt” as the Wiener Neustadt prosecutor’s office is now investigating the Cobra affair involving two bodyguards from the Nehammer family on suspicion of abuse of office.
Other than an embarrassment, this didn’t do anything. Nehammer had “went to Moscow for nothing”. The Austrian chancellor was the first Western head of government to meet Putin after the war broke out. That I can’t give him credit for that, even feel a diversion behind it, that’s shameful.
Source: Krone
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