2024-01-26 13:04:06
SPÖ OÖ starts the copy machine following almost a year of “reflection”:
Upper Austria (OTS) – Better copied well than not putting any ideas on paper yourself, that seems to be the motto of the SPÖ Upper Austria: In March 2023, MFG Upper Austria brought an application to Upper Austria. State Parliament with the demand to shorten the legislative period at the state and local level, which is unusually long compared to national and international standards, from six to at least five years. The three old parties ÖVP, FPÖ and SPÖ voted once morest it, almost indignantly. Less than a year later, the SPÖ pressed the copy & paste button and announced that it would submit an almost identical motion that pursued exactly the same goal. “First say no, then steal the application – the SPÖ is mocking the state parliament. On the other hand, of course, it honors us when our demands are so blatantly sold as our own,” says LAbg. Joachim Aigner, MFG-Austria federal party chairman.
In 2023 it was another major oversight by the Upper Austrian government. State politics: Instead of adjusting and reducing the electoral periods from six to five years, the three major parties ÖVP, FPÖ and SPÖ blocked this urgently needed reform demanded by MFG. “Cheap excuses instead of finally having the courage for more democracy once once more characterized the blockade and power retention policy of the ÖVP, FPÖ and unfortunately also the SPÖ, which unanimously rejected our application in this regard,” said Joachim Aigner at the time. But at the same time he promised: “We will stick with it and continue to address this disgraceful situation. We finally need more democracy in our country.”
“Shorter legislative periods mean more movement and ultimately more democracy. It has been shown that six years do not bring more stability, but rather more stagnation. A success for us, but also embarrassing for the SPÖ that they are jumping on our bandwagon following almost a year of deliberation.” -LAbg. Joachim Aigner
SPÖ last year: “The question of shortening the electoral period cannot be answered”
Because one thing is clear: six years until the next election means, in the worst case, six years of standstill or even regression. With its decision in 2023, Upper Austria remained the only federal state in Austria with six years without state and local council elections – and thus an anachronistic special case.
Last year’s voting behavior also showed how honest the recurring announcements and demands from an opposition party, the SPÖ, for more direct democracy actually are. Now, almost a year later, the SPÖ suddenly realizes that it is actually in favor of shortening the legislative period. The explanations for this change in opinion sound both cheap and disingenuous: According to the SPÖ, the question of shortening the electoral period was “not yet answerable” in spring 2023, which is why they had to vote once morest it at the time.
No change is possible without the power-loving ÖVP
“What kind of nonsense is this? Did the SPÖ look too deeply into the glass or what is different today than it was a year ago?” asks Joachim Aigner. “I am of course particularly pleased that the Social Democrats in Upper Austria were cognitively able to follow the request of our proposal, at least following almost a year. But that might also be because Heiland Babler and his red disciples in Vienna don’t send any good ideas from Vienna and people are therefore starting to copy the good ideas of the MFG,” Aigner continued regarding the SPÖ’s theft of topics.
In reality, there is probably something completely different behind it: The SPÖ wants to raise its profile with its new, hateful ‘democracy package’ because the colorless state party chairman Michael Lindner cannot get out of the low in all current surveys. “You bet: If the SPÖ were in government, they would never have brought this proposal forward anyway.” But even if the SPÖ changes its opinion, not much will be gained, because shortening the legislative period in Upper Austria would require a two-thirds majority in the state parliament. That means: Without the power-loving ÖVP, nothing works anyway.
Criticism of the OÖ Nachrichten: Lack of objectivity and unbalanced reporting
“The most recent events have also shown what a balanced, objective reporting is like in Upper Austria: While the OÖ Nachrichten is now courting the SPÖ regarding the request to shorten the legislative period and reporting on it extensively, last year, when we were from the MFG, who submitted an identical motion, played their usual game of ignoring and remaining silent. Objectivity and independence are different. What the OÖ Nachrichten, just like all other mainstream media, is doing is pure (government) propaganda,” says LAbg. Manuel Krautgartner, MFG-OÖ club chairman, in sharp criticism of the OÖ Nachrichten.
Questions & Contact:
MFG State Parliament Club Upper Austria
(+43 732) 7720 – 17402
[email protected]
www.klubmfg-ooe.at
1706274541
#Weak #decisionmaking #SPÖ #adopts #MFG #proposal #important #terms #democratic #policy
