Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) described the statements in a video by Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) about part-time working women and child poverty as “careless statements, some say slogans”. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) and Women’s Minister Susanne Rabb (ÖVP) spoke of a “storm in a teacup” with a strange comparison for confusion.
“These statements were obviously far removed from the reality of these women’s lives,” Kogler said Friday. Nevertheless, he emphasized the government’s work in the fight against poverty.
Kogler praises the government’s work
“We’ve been talking about it for decades, this administration has done it,” Kogler said, referring to tax cuts, for example. “We have always tackled lower incomes more forcefully, there was no watering can.” The further expansion of the childcare offer is important.
“Are we really talking about a humanitarian crisis?”
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) spoke of a “storm in a teacup”. ‘I have to ask you to pay attention to the language. To talk about a humanitarian crisis is a complete exaggeration.” People are dying every day in Ukraine, “we have Ethiopia, the Sahel zone – are we actually talking about a humanitarian crisis?”
Yes, there are problems and challenges, but I think it is a mistake to create an atmosphere “as if our backs are against the wall,” Schallenberg said at his joint press conference with Kogler. Achievements should count as much as personal responsibility – and it’s important to look outside the box to see what “really is a humanitarian crisis.”
Raab causes confusion
Women’s Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) caused confusion on Thursday evening. In a statement in a ZiB2 article, she calculated that ‘if you earn more, you get more income’.
The news value of this statement remains secret. In any case, Raab was “quite irritated by the Chancellor’s criticism. She also believes that achievements should be rewarding. And it is also right to point out that “parents also create the framework for their lives as part of their care and parental responsibility.”
Nehammer adds: “I stand by it”
Nehammer is facing calls for his resignation after the video emerged. In response, he reiterated in a new statement exactly what critical voices had called for an apology.
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.
