Never call it a savings package! Too complicated, too unpopular, too risky: in every election campaign, top candidates avoid certain issues or avoid them on a large scale. That is also the case in this election campaign. The “Krone” presents five topics that have been swept under the rug.
- Finances. Perhaps the most unpleasant topic is the precious money lavishly spent not only in recent years, but also during crises. Only Beate Meinl-Reisinger says that. She made a big gesture for the camera as the other candidates of the ORF elephant group ducked away. In any case, Herbert Kickl smells the shortages and calls for the classic cash flow collapse. Andreas Babler wants nothing to do with the austerity measures and relies entirely on wealth and inheritance taxes, with which he wants to finance all his election promises. Werner Kogler is also exercising restraint and warns – with one foot in the opposition – against touching subsidies for climate protection. Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s most original argument is: on the one hand, he wants to enlarge the pie that must be distributed through tax breaks for the economy and growth. It should not be based on the previous year’s budget, but every single item should be discussed from the start. But never call it a savings package!
- Women. They make up the majority of the electorate, and part-time work means they are more affected by poverty in old age. In many industries, the number of women in leadership positions is still shockingly low. Meinl-Reisinger was the only woman in the ring, the liberals never positioned themselves as fighters for the quota, and neither did the men, if at all. Andreas Babler, representative of the party of Johanna Dohnal and Barbara Prammer, discussed the issue of women in connection with the Freedom Party’s abortion campaign. The fact that the government invested billions in expanding primary education and thus childcare was also almost lost.
- Justice. Just a few months ago, corruption allegations against the ÖVP dominated the U committees. Some observers saw that the People’s Party had reached its ideological end. The Greens, especially Alma Zadić, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption celebrated themselves as ‘incorruptible’ when Sebastian Kurz had to resign. Now the ÖVP is about to jump back to first place. Only the Ibiza party FPÖ briefly attacked the ÖVP as a result. Werner Kogler had apparently already forgotten. Neither the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has decided to solve the enormous personnel problem among the corruption hunters.
- Security. Terrorism has arrived as a danger in the middle of Austria. Recently, attacks on the Taylor Swift concerts were prevented and the party of the year was canceled. However, it hardly became a problem. The ÖVP’s demand for necessary supervision of courier services was briefly discussed, but even rejected by the FPÖ.
- Foreign policy. Anyone who even mentions the word Gaza risks an emotional debate, with the discussion about the corona vaccination being a children’s birthday party. Therefore, everyone hesitated when it came to the topic of the conflict in the Middle East. Kickl was the only one to raise the conflict in Ukraine and called for an end to sanctions against Russia. That does not make a coalition with the ÖVP any easier. And Europe? That is what the election campaign for the European Parliament was intended for.
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.
