Schallenberg – Interview – “Unfortunately my day only had 24 hours”

Crown: They were Foreign Ministers and twice Chancellor in turbulent times. What is the first to do it if you do not practice any of the offices?
Schallenberg: probably look for some peace. At least I hope so. Of course I have to reorganize my life at the same time. And I intentionally want to spend a lot of time with my family.

Some colleagues said: sleep …
(laughs) That was always my weak point. I can get along well, it has always been the case and that will not change.

The Brexit, the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the war between Israel and Hamas and the Ukraine war fell during her term of office. What was the biggest challenge?
Without making a gradation now: the Russian attack war on Ukraine, 7 October 2023 and Corona. Why? Because we may have underestimated how disruptive the pandemic was for us as a society. No matter how much we intervened in the rights of individuals. Then of course the return of the war to our continent. And then certainly October 7, the Hamas attack on Israel. I can remember exactly. It was a Saturday afternoon when I was called and the question was asked: how good are your stomach nerves? And then I received videos and photos that I will not forget all my life.

I once asked the AI: what were the forming events of Alexander Schallenberg as Chancellor and she spit out from the vaccination of 2022. Satisfied with the result?
Of course I would have a completely different order. I rode a very clear pro-transatlantic course. I had a clear line with regard to the Russian attack war. Just like when it comes to the middle -east. But of course I can understand that the obligation to vaccinate also appears in this list.

Could you have treated it differently?
Did I make wrong -Gratis? No, nobody is flawless. As a government you must act immediately with every crisis. At that moment we acted to the best of our knowledge and faith. We would act completely differently with today’s knowledge level.

What are you particularly proud of in your term of office?
It is due to others to assess this in death reports. I haven’t died yet. As a Chancellor in 2021, I made sure that the government continues to work stably. As Foreign Minister, I have revived the neighborhood policy. There was a significant intensification of our relationships with the US. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mike Pompeo and Antony flash here and I are flashing here in the United States. And within five years. This is exceptional for Austria. And there was nothing to interpret our positioning about anti -Semitism and Israel.

With whom was the collaboration particularly difficult?
It is human everywhere. And that’s the nice thing too. You always think these are equipment systems. It sometimes works because two people can smell each other.

Can you really make friends?
There are some people that I especially appreciate. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Jordan, Saudi Aarabia or India. I also think of Xavier Bettel, the Luxemburger. Or Ivan Korcok from Slovakia. The former Egyptian Foreign Minister was there on the opera ball. And I was really happy to see him again.

Will there be a comeback in politics?
I am currently treating all political offices. The nice thing about human life is: we don’t know our future.

Is there a climax that you mainly think about?
There are many photos that actually accompany you for a lifetime. And I regret that I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do. My day also only had 24 hours. But also that of my team. I greatly appreciate that they were always there for me.