Public dissatisfaction with politics has never been greater. A democratic-political debacle? No, experts say, the problem is “only” the government.
An indictment: 82 percent of Austrians are dissatisfied or angry with politics. Are we disappointed in politics? Are we just not interested anymore? No, say political scientists. “Protests like Fridays for Future or the demonstrations of the Corona measures, whatever you think, show that people are interested in politics,” says political scientist Barbara Prainsack.
“Confidence in democracy is stable. What we have is a specific dissatisfaction with the current government, which has less than 30 percent approval. We have never experienced that in the past 70 years,” explains political scientist Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik. According to the experts, the reasons for this lie in the crises. “In times of crisis, when people have it worse, the dissatisfaction is always greater. But the corona measures were neither effective nor popular, but very expensive,” says Ennser-Jedenastik.
“Most think change is necessary”
There are no alternatives for the government in sight: “The FPÖ is no longer a protest party, it has long been part of the establishment. The MFG is seen as a party that is against everything. With Brexit, we’ve seen what happens when populists promise the population that things will get better with a national isolation policy – but for most people it’s gotten worse, not better,” Prainsack is convinced. She wants the mainstream parties to develop new versions. of how to combine a just society with climate and environmental protection.
“People are not stupid, they know that putting a brake on energy prices is not enough. Most believe that a profound change is needed that affects society as a whole: how can we shape our society and economy in such a way that people don’t get sick and the planet is not destroyed? There are signs that society needs to be reorganized. No party offers that.”
Ennser-Jedenastik also notes a personnel problem in the parties: “There is a sharp decline in party membership and there are more and more career changers, such as Pamela Rendi-Wagner. The tenure of ministers has also decreased. It is also not always very pleasant to be in politics, think of the health minister during the pandemic.” Expert conclusion: The government can go home, the Austrians want alternatives, daring, real solutions.
Source: Krone
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