TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: "Yesterday's political gossip", by Karin Leitner, issue of Sunday, March 12, 2023

“It’s about the well-being of a party that was used to dictating – and that wants to continue to do so, whatever the political cost.”

Innsbruck (OTS) – Two parties that have only given each other bad credit now want to join forces in Lower Austria. Power trumps principles once again.

Johanna Mikl-Leitner will not be elected governor. This was assured by the Lower Austrian FPÖ before the election. Shortly after this, the state and federal party said: no votes for this, no cooperation. Now Mikl-Leitner and FPÖ state party leader Udo Landbauer are reporting on “serious and good” negotiations. The goal is to be in business by the middle of next week. The working agreement in the proportional government is thus rhetorically sealed. Mikl-Leitner justifies the stop in negotiations with the SPÖ with “insurmountable hurdles” and “demands that are harmful to the location”, such as free all-day care in the kindergarten and a job guarantee for the long-term unemployed.
The Blues tried to save face: When Mikl-Leitner was elected, they left the state parliament conference room. Then the votes of the ÖVP are enough for their election. The woman, whose party lost ten percentage points on January 29, justified the merger with the FPÖ as follows: Personal sensitivities were put aside, it was about the well-being of the country.
That’s not what it is about. It’s about the well-being of a party that was used to dictating because of its previous absolute majority – and that wants to continue to do so, no matter what the political cost.
The ÖVP has criticized the “Comrades are ready” songbook of the Blues and other right-wing extremist activities, ditto the unspeakable statements by FPÖ regional councilor Gottfried Waldhäusl. Apparently, all of this is no longer a hurdle for her. This shows that some politicians don’t care about yesterday’s chatter – when it comes to maintaining power, as in the case of the ÖVP, and, in the case of the FPÖ, to expanding power for today and tomorrow.