The ‘no’ to the Mercosur agreement will harm Austria and Europe, says economist Franz Schellhorn. “Our importance is decreasing enormously, we Europeans are no longer as important as we think,” said the director and head of Agenda Austria in the “Rainer Nowak Talk” on krone.tv. Without international cooperation, prosperity would decline.
The ÖVP is being abandoned by the farmers’ association because of a “stupid tenderloin” and “a few kilos of beef”, says NEOS mandate Gerald Loaker. Farmers and climate activists reacted with horror. Since the agreement is currently on the table, this is not the case, says Alexander Bernhuber (ÖVP) in the “Rainer Nowak Talk”.
Domestic beef versus container ships
And further: “Where beef is exchanged for cars and thousands of pieces of the best steaks should enter the European market without regard to the standards to which production is carried out.” At the same time, container ships would have to be full of imported beef. “Here you cannot say there is fair competition.”
Schellhorn: “We Europeans are no longer that important…”
Farmers are an important sector, but cannot be the determining factor for 99 percent of the population, economist Schellhorn sees the matter in a much more differentiated way. “If we don’t get this agreement, Europe will become increasingly sidelined. We Europeans are no longer so important that we can fly around the world and tell everyone what environmental and social standards they have to meet.”
Other dependencies
Economist Monika Köppl-Turyna follows the same line. She brings into play the strategic dependence on other resources: “We will urgently need lithium reserves, the largest in the world in South America, if only because of climate change. Because we simply cannot get by without batteries and with the electrification of the economy. It is typical that the free trade agreement is getting an increasingly poor reputation. “You always look at the short-term benefit here.”
SPÖ and Mercosur
SPÖ social spokesperson Josef Muchitsch is critical of the Mercosur Treaty, especially from a social and environmental policy perspective: “16,000 container ships cross the sea every day and then we talk about climate change and climate protection.” the question of whether beef from South America should be on the Austrian plate.
When people talk about how Europe should exist among the other markets in the future, Europe (Brussels) should also think about how the markets can become fit again in the spirit of “Europe first”. Muchitsch: “If we as Europe remain stuck between Asia, America and South America, we need trade agreements because otherwise consumers can no longer afford anything.”
The group discussed other economic topics, you can see more in the video above!
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.
