ORF "summer talk"

Nehammer: “Many differences to Kurz”

Federal Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer answered questions from ORF presenter Martin Thür.

(Bild: APA/Barbara Gindl)

Finale of the ORF "Summer Talks": Federal Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer was a guest of presenter Martin Thür on Monday evening: There are many things that distinguish the Chancellor from Sebastian Kurz, there will be no austerity package - and he is not slamming the door on the FPÖ.

After Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Werner Kogler, Herbert Kickl and Andreas Babler, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer was a guest on ORF's "Sommergespräch" on Monday evening.

"Remainer" Nehammer
An interesting fact right at the beginning of the interview: according to the ORF introductory report, the ÖVP leader may have been left behind at school once.

(Bild: APA/Barbara Gindl)

(Bild: APA/Barbara Gindl)

Chancellor: The color turquoise remains part of the ÖVP campaign
What distinguishes him from his predecessor Sebastian Kurz? Nehammer: "A lot of things. We are different types of people, different personalities, we have different biographies. But it is precisely this diversity that is exciting."

The color turquoise (invented in the Kurz era) will nevertheless remain part of the ÖVP campaign. 

Open to FPÖ, but rejection of Kickl
He wants to be the first to cross the finish line in the National Council elections on September 29. He once again rejected a collaboration with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. "He believes in his own conspiracy theories. You can't do politics like that." However, he did not rule out a coalition with the Freedom Party. "There are many sensible people in the FPÖ." There are also good relations with "reasonable" representatives in the SPÖ, the Chancellor noted.

We see Marxist concepts on the left and conspiracy theories on the right. I stand for a policy of the center and reason. Parties should not live off problems, they should solve them. That's what I stand for!

Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) im ORF-„Sommergespräch“

"Making the cake bigger"
 The economy and budget were central topics in the last ORF "Sommergespräch" - after all, the ÖVP recently presented a plan for savings totaling 14 billion. Renowned economists criticize its feasibility. "Why not an austerity package?" asked Thür. Nehammer spoke of a "big cake".

It was crucial to enlarge the cake. After all, Austria has the fifth largest GDP in the EU. Counter-financing? Review budgets and then react. There is a plan in place for counter-financing. "We are looking in every ministry to see if and where there is potential for savings. We also need to move away from direct subsidies."

"The Austrian economy has a cold"
According to Nehammer, Austria is an efficient business location: "We are an export country, so when the German economy has the flu, the Austrian economy has a cold. Nevertheless, we are at a very high level, Austria is among the top five in terms of GDP per capita in the EU."

Chancellor in favor of abolishing the tax on overtime
The ÖVP leader also emphasized that performance in Austria must be made more worthwhile again. "That's why we want to abolish the tax on overtime and introduce a full-time bonus. The welfare state is only financed by the efforts of many, the solidary welfare state is not a natural phenomenon, it has to be earned."

Nehammer against abolition of the diesel privilege
Nehammer clearly rejected a possible abolition of the diesel privilege or the commuter allowance. "We focus on progress through innovation, not through bans."

"97 percent reduction in illegal migration at the Hungarian border"
In terms of asylum and migration, Nehammer emphasized that there has been a 97 percent reduction in illegal migration at the Hungarian border. "These are the fruits of our measures." The next important step is to cooperate with countries outside the EU to make repatriations possible.

The smugglers are now giving Austria a wide berth. This is a result of our measures, our controls and the high police pressure. We have put a stop to 700 smugglers.

Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) im ORF-„Sommergespräch“

Returns to Afghanistan, for example, are no longer taboo. "Germany is now also on our side. Nobody can ignore this problem anymore."

Nehammer continued: "If we enforce asylum procedures in safe third countries, we will smash the business model of organized crime. We want orderly immigration into the labor market, not into the social system. We are finding more and more allies for this in Europe."

Emotional chancellor on the subject of justice
The otherwise friendly and relaxed Chancellor became more aggressive on the subject of justice. He rejected questions about possible interventions by his ÖVP in proceedings and accused moderator Martin Thür of a lack of honesty in his research because he did not provide any evidence for the serious accusations. "It has to stop with these general suspicions" against civil servants and authorities and against the People's Party, "which is constantly being drawn in somewhere", said Nehammer.

"85 percent of the government program implemented"
Despite many differences with the Green coalition partner, Nehammer defended the work within the federal government. "We have implemented 85 percent of the government program. In the final stages, we got the security strategy and the municipal investment program on track. We really can't be accused of inactivity."

Nehammer still wants to catch Kickl
Nehammer's goal in the National Council elections on September 29 is clear: to catch Kickl after all. The ÖVP's in-house opinion researcher, Franz Sommer, currently sees a neck-and-neck race, with the FPÖ still in first place. In the meantime, the two leading candidates are also moving ever closer together in the official polls.