Politics Unofficial

A new start is now the order of the day!

The plenary chamber of Innsbruck's municipal council

(Bild: APA/ROBERT PARIGGER)

The old municipal council in Innsbruck is meeting one last time. Abolishing the proportional representation system would be a fresh start. The ÖVP needs new minds and, above all, new ideas. An "Unofficial Politics" by Markus Gassler.

The election is over. Praise and thanks be to God! But the real work is only just beginning. On Tuesday - when the old municipal council meets again - things will probably get down to business again, for better or worse. I'm afraid that one or two offended souls who have been wiped out by the voters will use the meeting to let off steam one last time.

But then the unspeakable chapter of the past six years of Innsbruck municipal politics must be closed once and for all. The time of obstructionism, mutual sniping, put-downs and intrigue must be over.

Good starting point for a new beginning
Now we need a fresh start! And the starting point for this is good. It would be best anyway if the so-called proportional system were abolished by means of a two-thirds majority in the municipal council and a fixed coalition were formed. Currently, all parties with a strength of around 10 percent or more are represented in the city senate. There are currently seven members: two Greens, two Blacks (or Orange and Yellow), two Blues and one Red.

The two blues are currently not in office and are only well-paid spectators. It would therefore make sense to only appoint people to the city government who actually have a portfolio. Incidentally, the city government cannot be reduced in size: it must have at least six and no more than nine members.

A second option would be to give portfolios to the two Blue Party members who have not held office to date. However, the Greens and Reds had already spoken out against this before the election. And if the Blue Party is given an office, then the Black-Orange-Yellow Party would also have to be given a portfolio. But after the events of the last twelve months, Johannes Anzengruber will not allow this. In his view, quite rightly so! Therefore: abolish proportional representation and govern with a stable coalition.

From left: Former LH Günther Platter, LH Anton Mattle and BM candidate Florian Tursky

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

 "An insolvency from a private sector perspective"
Speaking of the municipal VP: after the declaration of bankruptcy on election day two weeks ago, a new start is inevitable there too. And with new heads! All those people who are partly responsible for Innsbruck's worst ever VP election result should, no, must, take their hats off and realize that their time in politics is finally over.

In private business terms, the VP election result is an insolvency. Those responsible would have been thrown out the door long ago on the free market!

Ein Oberländer Unternehmer

A successful entrepreneur from Oberland wrote to me after the election on April 14: "From a private sector perspective, the VP election result is an insolvency. Those responsible would have been thrown out the door long ago on the free market!"

That's true, but unfortunately politics lives in its own world and according to its own rules. It remains to be seen how long they can afford to do this and how long the voters will put up with it.