After Norbert Totschnig was sworn in as Agriculture Minister on Wednesday, he was introduced to the National Council along with the other new ministers and the minister. While Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) was confident, the SPÖ and FPÖ again called for new elections.
“We have brought together what we think belongs together,” Karl Nehammer said in his speech on Wednesday. A clearly structured Ministry of Agriculture is important in times of war in Ukraine and the related food supply. The civil service supplements the youth agenda and the digitization is coming to the federal data center of the Ministry of Finance.
In doing so, he addressed the departments of the new ministers and state secretaries. Nehammer and his Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) introduced the new Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP), Minister of Labor and Economy Martin Kocher (ÖVP), as well as State Secretary for Digital Florian Tursky (ÖVP) and State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus- Winkler (ÖVP). Then they spoke for themselves. For example, Kocher said Austria is facing difficult times with good economic data. He sees the fact that two related departments are now merging as an opportunity. There has been close cooperation in the past and can now be done much faster.
Strengthen the protection of animals and the environment
In his speech, Totschnig stated that he wanted to do more to protect animals and the environment. In addition, food must be secured even in difficult times. Kraus-Winkler promised to set everything in motion so that tourism in this country could recover. Tursky announced gigabit data connections for all of Austria by 2030. Another innovation is that State Secretary for Youth Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) is now also responsible for civil service and voluntary work.
Opposition welcomes newcomers unfriendly
The opposition received the new members of the government largely unfriendly. NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger, for example, remembered the many ministerial changes in the past. The government must finally deliver. The criticism of the FPÖ and SPÖ was relatively sharper. A new SPÖ election application accuses the government of, among other things, incompetence and chaos in pandemic management and failing to fight price increases. The FPÖ has already submitted a similar application. Club boss Herbert Kickl described the government as a “flea circus”. Their only glue is the fear of elections and punishment by the population.
Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) had previously resigned as Minister of Economic Affairs and Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) as Minister of Agriculture. Nehammer and Kogler thanked and praised them in the National Council. For example, Köstinger campaigned for farmers against retail groups.
Source: Krone
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