The Viennese ÖVP boss Karl Mahrer no longer likes the fountain market in Ottakring. While visiting the popular local supply district, he noticed the local merchants – apparently not in a particularly positive way. “Syrians, Afghans, Arabs have taken control of the fountain market,” Mahrer said angrily in a video about the origin of the entrepreneurs. The SPÖ found the Viennese bashing and immediately demanded an apology from the Viennese.
“One cannot currently speak of an enriching cultural diversity on the Brunnenmarkt if Austrian culture no longer exists in Austria, in Vienna,” the Viennese ÖVP boss said in a broadcast. For Mahrer, the market, with its traditionally international offering, is a “symbol of failed integration”. In addition, the area towards the belt has become a zone of uncertainty, in which drug trafficking is a problem, he said.
“Racism is not an opinion”
SPÖ club boss Josef Taucher was shocked by the statements. “Racism is not an opinion. The racist verbal attacks are a frontal assault on working people in Vienna. That is shameful and unworthy of a politician,” Taucher said in a broadcast. The ÖVP does its daily bashing in Vienna, Mahrer should apologize to the Viennese.
“Our Viennese markets are the heartbeat of this city. They are important local suppliers and provide people with fresh, regional and healthy food. The Viennese markets are places of encounter, diversity and exchange,’ emphasized the SP politician. He found a diversionary tactic on the part of the ÖVP, which was intended to distract from the ÖVP’s “incompetence” in the federal government. Taucher blamed the former black-and-blue federal government for the security situation, which had seen a massive reduction in police force, he explained.
“Shabby Political Maneuver”
Viennese NEOS boss Christoph Wiederkehr finds Mahrer’s statements “not only wrong, they are also racist”. On Twitter, Wiederkehr saw “a shoddy political maneuver to belittle people who have built something together with us and contribute to the community in such a way. Unfortunately, the Vienna ÖVP is now hardly distinguishable from the FPÖ.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
