Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) attracted attention on Saturday with a remarkable statement during the party conference of the Tyrolean People’s Party. In his speech on life-threatening inflation, he explained that there would only be “alcohol or psychotropic drugs” if the current situation continued as before. The chancellor’s office insisted to krone.at that they just wanted to exude confidence.
In any case, the former communication trainer Nehammer caused irritation with his choice of words and he immediately received massive criticism in the social networks. In doing so, the chancellor actually wanted to point out the need for political measures in view of the looming challenges of inflation in the country.
“Must recognize the enemy”
“We have to recognize the enemy, as it were: that is the price increase, that is inflation, that is the absurdly high level of energy costs,” Nehammer explained in full campaign style. “And we must take the measures in such a way that we do not increase inflation, but try to suppress it together in the European Union.”
Badly worded, but well intentioned
This is “far from easy,” he said, adding: “If we continue like this, you will only have two choices after that: alcohol or psychotropic drugs. And I say, alcohol is basically okay.” But the crucial thing is that you “always raise a toast when you’re feeling good,” Nehammer added. In response to a question from krone.at, the Chancellor’s office said they wanted to exude confidence, even when worded lightly, as is admitted.
Nevertheless, the Chancellor’s statements, which were likely intended to be humorous, seem inappropriate, especially given the massive rise in mental illness in the country as a result of the pandemic. The verbal drive is no exception either – only recently his statement during his election as ÖVP chief caused a stir when he explained in view of the corona pandemic, which has now fully germinated: “So many people in one room also means: so many. viruses – but now we don’t care.” The chancellor later apologized in the “Krone”.
Criticism by Mikl Leitner
The public only laughed at him modestly for his statements in Tyrol – meanwhile Nehammer has to take strong criticism within the party. In an interview with the “Krone”, Lower Austrian governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner not only calls for “clear leadership in the government”, she also campaigned for a price cap on energy prices – and thus went straight to the line of the SPÖ.
Source: Krone
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