Interview with boss of Lower Austria – Mikl-Leitner: “Relief packages are arriving too slowly”

„krone“: Your predecessor Erwin Proell was happy to put the phrase in his mouth: “It doesn’t matter who is chancellor among me.” Now you’ve criticized the chancellor twice – are we experiencing a revival of this time?
Johanna Mikl-Leitner: For me it’s not about doing something for someone or being against someone, it’s about being for something. My message was to the entire government, but also to the entire parliament – including opposition parties! – directed to pull together.

Her message was: clear leadership is needed. Was the issue downplayed or just poorly communicated?
Large packages are already assembled. They just don’t reach the citizen fast enough. That’s the topic. People think that’s too little. Communication is of course the key word here. The information – it could certainly be better.

Why are you telling the federal government something that will be implemented in the state itself two weeks later?
A general electricity price cap can only be set at national and European level. What we as a state can do, namely a subsidy, ie a discount on the future increase in electricity prices, we must now decide in the state parliament so that it can come into effect in the autumn. So that the money gets to the citizens on time. That is why we must initiate the discount on the electricity price in a timely manner.

We know from the past that when Lower Austria starts to criticize the chairman, a debate about the chairman breaks out in the ÖVP…
I would like to say it again: my criticism was aimed at all parties at the federal level. In the federal government, and especially in parliament. If you look at how people beg and abuse each other there, it doesn’t create trust. This harms democracy as a whole.

So no presidential debate in the ÖVP?
no

So far, September 22 has been discussed as the earliest date for a decision on aid packages. Recent polls show the ÖVP only 40 percent of the vote. Are these candies now?
If you stare at short-term surveys every week, you won’t be able to focus on the long-term work. That’s why I’m not interested. The task now is to support our compatriots in this difficult situation. Why have we made this decision in the state government now? Because we also need a legal framework for these subsidies and that must also be approved. It will take at least six weeks for the law to come into force. People can apply for their discount by the beginning of September, so that it can be felt for the first time in October.

Let’s talk about the crisis of confidence. The polls are worse than ever. Why is that? Is it the WKStA’s fault, is it the Court of Auditors, is it the ÖVP scandals?
If you’re constantly begging and berating yourself, it’s clear that trust will wane. And trust is declining among all parties – there are also studies on that. I think the way we treat each other now poses a threat to democracy. That scares everyone.

So the ÖVP scandals have not contributed to a crisis of confidence?
Of course accusations hurt. That’s why it would be important for allegations to be checked – and only then criticized. To us, fair dealing is no more than a pious wish.

Only recently were there reports of a gag order for the Court of Auditors. So is it reliable?
I would also like to see more honesty and objectivity here. This is a purely organizational measure on the part of the Central Government Agency, which the Court of Audit finds fine. The head of internal audit who took the initiative comes from the Federal Court of Auditors itself. From what I hear, other states have the same system. But meanwhile, everything is trying to build a scandal.

There was no gag order…
no

Shouldn’t we evaluate whether it’s really the right time for projects like carbon pricing?
The federal government needs to take a very close look at this to see if another postponement is possible.

Was there a discussion between you and Karl Nehammer?
There was no need for a debate. But it was important for me to inform the Chancellor about our model in advance. He finds it interesting and wants to include the model in the general debate at the federal level.

Where does the money for the discount on the electricity price come from?
We’re talking about 250 million, which we have available through future dividends from the state holding companies, but also from the current budget. If necessary, further borrowing is also made. It is especially in this situation that it is important that we help people. The exact amount is not yet known.

Where did elections take place in the past: new federal elections or the regular state elections in Lower Austria?
I agree with the Federal President that it is now important that everyone does their job and overcome this crisis together. That’s what people now expect. Here in Lower Austria, the elections are held in rotation, ie 2023 between January and mid-March.

The ÖVP top candidate in Tyrol distances himself from Karl Nehammer and does not want to campaign together. Will there be dates in Lower Austria?
The election campaign is still a long way off for me. The first thing you need to do now is make sure people get through this crisis well.

Not sure if there will be appointments with the chancellor?
I really don’t think about campaign planning.

When you are in a crisis, do you turn to alcohol or psychotropic drugs?
(laughs) I think he feels sorry for that sage.

He phrased it the same way at the Lower Austria party conference…
So I wouldn’t have noticed this wording either. It’s just an unfortunate wording. I think if he could take her back, he would take her back.

Let’s go to vaccination. It was introduced to Achensee overnight at the insistence of the provincial governors and has now been withdrawn. Was that a quick shot?
At the time, it was a decision in parliament because the situation was very sensitive. We all still have the images in our heads of how the doors to the intensive care unit no longer closed when the Delta variant claimed many lives. That was a different situation then. The virus has changed and it has also been seen that compulsory vaccination has simply not done what was expected. That is why they have been abolished.

Finally, a question about Sebastian Kurz. Health insurance reform has not delivered what was promised. The reduction in child benefit for foreign carers has been lifted by the ECJ. The number of asylum seekers is back on record. Have the Kurz-era flagship projects all failed?
In a few years you can see which milestones have remained.

But they all failed…
You should also look at the international level where he has prevented the mutualization of debts.