When a federal president and a state governor meet… This is what happens in the “Yellow Salon” in Villach’s Warmbader Hof (Carinthia): As part of the conference of the state governors there was a conversation with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on Thursday.
At the invitation of the Governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, who is currently chairman of the Conference of State Governors, the top politicians of the states and the Federal President met for an exchange of views. It lasted an hour and a half and was “important,” says LH Kaiser.
A central topic in the conversation with Van der Bellen: the fight against the climate crisis. “Especially here in Carinthia, but also in the other states, we experienced devastating storm disasters last summer that show us how urgently we need to do something. The governors of the states can make an important contribution so that things can move forward quickly,” the Federal President urged and welcomed in this regard the new financial equalization fund for the future.
Financial equalization is still a problem
As a reminder, at the beginning of October, the federal and state governments agreed that the latter would receive an additional EUR 2.4 billion annually. Of this, 1.1 billion will go to the so-called future fund, which is intended for the areas of childcare, primary education, housing and climate and the environment.
Van der Bellen: “It makes sense to combine the use of taxpayer money with clear goals in the field of climate protection, but also when expanding childcare. These are current challenges where federal, state and local governments share responsibility.”
And further: “High-quality, well-developed childcare should be a major concern for us as a society, because it is not only an important instrument on the road to equality between women and men, but also a prerequisite for the economic success of our companies, which rely on many places are urgently looking for staff.”
In this regard, Kaiser and the other state governors agree: “We need a common approach here with the federal government, without paternalism and without unilateral excessive demands on states and municipalities.” what is collected on behalf of the states must be “distributed fairly and equitably”.
Austria has “historic responsibility”
The current geopolitical conflicts – keywords Israel and Ukraine – were also discussed. In this context, the Federal President reported on the discussions he held at the UN General Assembly in New York at the end of September.
As a community of solidarity, politicians must do everything they can to advance peace efforts, Kaiser said: “Austria has a historic responsibility to shoulder, especially regarding the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe and the world and its consequences. on our society.”
Speaking of which: the mood among the population and citizens’ confidence in politics was also a topic at the meeting on Thursday evening. “The temptation to fall for populism is increasing. We really have to be vigilant here. Simple solutions are not a solution. We must work together across party lines – even though it may be strenuous, it is the only way we can overcome challenges,” the Federal President urged those present. The fact that democracy is still under pressure is due to the great stress and uncertainty, but also due to the many crises.
“Instability is becoming the new normal, and uncertainty is becoming more widespread on many levels,” Kaiser said. That is why “political cooperation across all political and party lines” is necessary.
The talks between the state governors will continue on Friday, we will report live from 12 noon on krone.at/kaernten.
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.
