ORF-Elephant Round Before Burgenland Election With Criticism
The list leaders of SPÖ, ÖVP, FPÖ, Greens, NEOS and Liste Hausverstand largely reaffirmed their already known positions on economic policy, care and energy transition. No one wanted to commit to possible coalitions. Meanwhile, the situation at the federal level caused discussions.
Criticism in ORF Elephant Round before Burgenland Election
Content-wise, criticism of the economic policy and the numerous participations of the state under the SPÖ single government of Governor Hans Peter Doskozil came from ÖVP, FPÖ, Greens, NEOS and Liste Hausverstand. The plans for the energy transition and the energy community "Fanclub Burgenland", which should guarantee a fixed rate for 20 years, were criticized by ÖVP leader Christian Sagartz, FPÖ top candidate Norbert Hofer, Greens state spokeswoman Anja Haider-Wallner, NEOS leader Christoph Schneider and Hausverstand founder Geza Molnar and defended by Doskozil. He regarded his critics with one or another skeptical side glance and accused them of telling "fairy tales".
Doskozil, who was never a fan of a three-party coalition of ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS at the federal level, felt vindicated by the failure of the negotiations. He wanted to see his federal party in opposition from the start. Hofer saw "good chances" that Blue-Turquoise could come to a solution. ÖVP leader Sagartz said that the invitation to the coalition negotiations by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl was "frosty", but in the end both sides were probably aware of the "serious situation". Nobody wants new elections.
Warning from Doskozil
In Burgenland, Doskozil again warned of an ÖVP-FPÖ coalition against him. Whether this would be mathematically possible would largely depend on whether the Greens make it into the state parliament, he noted. The Greens themselves want to co-govern if possible, but at least return to the state parliament. Hofer said he had not made a coalition with either Red or Turquoise. At the same time, the Freedom Party member made no secret of the fact that he wants to become governor or did not switch from the federal level to Burgenland to "become second".
ÖVP leader Sagartz only committed to breaking the absolute majority of the SPÖ and could imagine working with the Social Democrats despite some harsh criticism in recent years. For NEOS top candidate Schneider, coalitions are not an issue at all. He does not want to co-govern, but to control and consequently go into opposition, should he make it. The former Freedom Party member Geza Molnar, who is running with his Hausverstand list, emphasized that he is in favor of the first - and thus probably Doskozil - becoming governor.
"Must not trip up our companies in the country"
Criticism also came about the fact that the state is competing with the private sector by participating in economic areas where it functions. Both Sagartz - "the state was never the better economist" - and Schneider - "we must not trip up our companies in the country" - as well as Hofer and Molnar spoke out against this. They discussed, among other things, the purchase of the sugar factory in Siegendorf, the state-owned buses, and the participation in a wedding agency as well as the 200,000 bottles of sparkling wine that the state bought to save the A-Nobis sparkling wine cellar - ultimately unsuccessfully - from bankruptcy.
Haider-Wallner called for guidelines for such aids. Which companies are supported should not be decided arbitrarily. Doskozil, on the other hand, justified the aids by saying that companies were saved and jobs secured as a result. The state finances are also good. Last year, no loans had to be taken out.
Doskozil's voice, which he had temporarily lost after his eighth operation on the larynx and pneumonia last November, held up. Over the past seven years, he has learned to cope with this limitation, said the governor. He wants to show that "you can do your job with a disability".
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.