ÖVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer took part in a crisis summit in Poland. It was about EU aid after the environmental disasters in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Brussels is now handing out ten billion euros, of which 500 million will go to the Alpine republic.
As is known, the federal government’s domestic disaster fund was increased to one billion euros in order to provide rapid and sufficient support to those affected. However, there are legal restrictions.
However, only a fraction of this will go directly to private individuals. Because – as the law states – only 4.21 percent of the billions in flows “to cover extraordinary needs that arise in a country through financial assistance to eliminate extraordinary damage to the assets of physical and legal persons, with the exception of local governments”.
Chancellor on an impromptu mission to Poland
This is one of the reasons why Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the ÖVP was on a fundraising mission on Thursday. Recently, in the middle of the election campaign, he traveled through the disaster areas of Lower Austria. On Thursday, he flew for a few hours to a flood summit in Poland that Prime Minister Donald Tusk had called because of the storms and floods. The “crown” was there.
During the departure, water masses were seen in the Tullnerfeld area, just like during the landing in Poland. Sad statistics: 100 missing and twelve dead. Striking: both Tusk and Nehammer are not wearing suits, but shirtsleeves. Motto: “We are stuck.” The heads of government of Poland, Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (Germany), were present at the summit to discuss flood protection measures and reconstruction. This underlined the importance of the meeting in Poland.
500 million from Brussels
There was discussion about the EU disaster fund and further aid at EU level. On the spot, Nehammer strongly advocated for substantial financial support from the European fund and for targeted aid programs. Successfully. There is ten billion euros in EU aid for the affected countries. Austria receives 500 million euros without counter-financing. In total, the aid money has now increased to 1.5 billion.
Nehammer: “If you help quickly, you help twice as much”
In addition to the solidarity fund, more floodgates were opened via the so-called cohesion fund. Nehammer flies back on Thursday evening and was extremely pleased with the efficient short trip to Eastern Europe. He thanked President Ursula von der Leyen and said: ‘If you help quickly, you help twice as much.’ The president was emotional: ‘Your heart breaks when you see how serious the consequences of this catastrophe are.’
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.
