Government Receives "Insufficient" from FPÖ

The FPÖ gave their assessment of the first months of the ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS government on Wednesday. The verdict from the two FPÖ general secretaries, Michael Schnedlitz and Christian Hafenecker, was not positive; they gave the coalition a clear "insufficient." The FPÖ sees the government as delinquent not only on the budget issue but also on matters such as migration, defense, and appointments.

EU Commission Recommended Initiation of Deficit Procedure

Schnedlitz and Hafenecker sharply criticized the government for failing to avert a deficit procedure against Austria. The day before, the EU Commission had formally recommended the initiation of an EU deficit procedure against Austria - it had already announced this at the beginning of June, due to the budget deficit of 4.7 percent of GDP in 2024 and the planned 4.5 percent this year. This clearly places Austria above the allowed limit of three percent of the so-called Maastricht criteria.

The government had "not taken a single decisive action" to prevent the deficit procedure, criticized Schnedlitz. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl had only "needed three days to send a recovery plan to Brussels," he recalled the (later failed) coalition negotiations between FPÖ and ÖVP in the spring - at that time, the EU Commission announced that no procedure would be initiated after the measures presented by the then negotiators.

The now governing three-party coalition had already failed to avert a deficit procedure, Schnedlitz reminded that the first round of ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS negotiations around New Year's (among other things) failed on the issue of budget recovery. "That's why the NEOS threw in the towel." Meanwhile, "everything is different," the subsequently formed three-party coalition had lost the claim to avert the procedure and was "acting ineffectively."

The previous government had at least "clearly communicated" its policy of "whatever it takes," said Schnedlitz, who simultaneously criticized the turquoise-green coalition: "Financially, Austria is up to its neck in water thanks to the ÖVP and the Greens." "The current government comes along, says we are the great reformers" - and they save by cutting pensions and family benefits - "and yet they make the same deficit as the last 5 years." "That's why the EU Commission has to intervene, because otherwise, it would be the final downfall of the Republic of Austria."

"Repeating a Year Brings Absolutely Nothing"

Schnedlitz and Hafenecker were in agreement in their judgment: "If one had to proceed to the distribution of report cards: Insufficient, but please do not repeat the class, rather abandon the whole project," said Schnedlitz. Hafenecker added that this government could not remain for a full legislative period: "Repeating a year brings absolutely nothing. Analogous to a school dropout, one would have to make a government dropout here," he sees the three-party coalition as already failed. "Insufficient on all fronts," was Hafenecker's verdict - this also applied to conduct grades.

There was also criticism for numerous other areas aside from the budget, such as migration: Although the government has pressed the stop button on family reunification, nothing has actually changed. "Instead of border protection, we are experiencing a constant border storm," said Hafenecker, who complained about allegedly lacking reports on migration. In addition, he reiterated the well-known FPÖ criticism, including Austria's participation in the missile defense shield Sky Shield, as well as criticizing "driver harassment," the CO2 tax, or the "ORF compulsory tax."

From the ÖVP, nothing more is heard about their commitment to the combustion engine car, he also criticized the ÖVP. Hafenecker has doubts about the competence of former Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) as Migration Commissioner: "If he couldn't even count the finances, how is he supposed to count the refugees" - he also sees the appointment of former ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer to the board of the European Investment Bank (EIB) as more than critical.

Hafenecker also found few kind words for Nehammer's successor Christian Stocker: The ÖVP has "managed to somehow stay in the Federal Chancellery with a cheap trick." However, he guarantees that the People's Party "will very soon be pushed against the wall by both left-wing sidecars (...)." This has already happened to the ÖVP with the Greens, he said.

FPÖ Criticism of Babler

The SPÖ and in particular its party leader Andreas Babler were criticized by Schnedlitz, among other things, for the recently known costs for media coaching: "OK, you can say savings must be made - at the same time it comes to light that Andreas Babler spends 6,000 EUR for media coaching for a media appointment."

The FPÖ, in any case, is ready to take on government responsibility, said Hafenecker.

SPÖ federal manager Klaus Seltenheim spoke of "unspeakable outings" by Schnedlitz and Hafenecker against the federal government. "When the blue general secretaries step up to the microphones, only boundless fake news, unbearable conspiracy myths, and frontal attacks against everything and everyone come out," he saw a "miserable performance." The "blue troop of Kickl" has still not come to terms with "the failure in its power frenzy," he said. "Herbert Kickl is the most cowardly party leader in Austria," said Seltenheim. The SPÖ has "taken responsibility in contrast to the cowardly FPÖ" and is implementing what we promised.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.