“Ladies and gentlemen, this is perhaps a little unusual for an opening speech. But what must be said must be said’ – Alexander Van der Bellen surprised with clear words on Wednesday afternoon in his opening speech at the Bregenz Festival. The Federal President sees a loss of reality in Austria and warns the federal government to “work, work, work”. He does not want new elections.
One should not “put oneself in the bag”, says the Federal President, who of course also addresses the turquoise-green federal government and some. “We have to realize that when this evening is over, when this festival is over, when this summer is over, at the latest when winter comes, we will have a huge energy problem,” Van der Bellen said clearly.
“We are already seeing a dramatic price increase for many everyday products. Hundreds of thousands of people in our country are scared and on the verge of despair.” Van der Bellen clearly sees the root of this evil in Vladimir Putin, whom he described as a “dictator” who dropped bombs on cities and towns out of hatred of the Western way of life. “Because he can’t stand that we want to live in a society where everyone is worth the same.”
Under no circumstances should one make oneself a ‘vassal’ of Putin. Dependence on Russia is “unacceptable”. “ABut it is also unbearable to even toy with the idea of making oneself a servile ally to a dictator.” Here the Van der Bellen earned intermittent applause.
“And yes, previous governments have neither seen nor ignored the threat of dependency. Yes, politics and business have made mistakes here. And yes, I was cheated and felt safe.” What does that mean for Austria? the The Federal President made it clear that the energy crisis and the resulting inflation were a “deliberately staged act of war”. You have to call it by its name.
Finally, Van der Bellen addressed the federal government directly: the decision had been made that “the government should and must do what it has been elected to do without delay: work, work, work.” Here too there was intermittent applause.
The three demands of the Federal President:
- The allegations of corruption must be followed by a comprehensive investigation and clarification of the allegations.
- The massive expansion of non-fossil power generation should soon follow when thermal power plants are turned on.
- The rapid dampening of rising prices must be followed by good and sustainable security for all.
Van der Bellen dismisses the call for new elections. The most important thing now is to ensure the greatest possible stability. He also takes responsibility for Austrian society as a whole and calls for “standing together and solidarity”.
Source: Krone
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