Buying frenzy in retail

Mölzer: “These are acts of desperation!”

Andreas Mölzer

(Bild: krone.tv)

The current political duel between Eva Glawischnig and Andreas Mölzer on krone.tv was as heated as usual. Topics such as the tough coalition negotiations, the current domestic economic disaster and the possible stadium purchase by the City of Vienna divided opinion.

At the beginning, the tough negotiations between the ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos on the so-called "Zuckerlkoalition" were discussed. Glawischnig: "I must say in advance: I really wish the negotiators had the nerve. We've already had many weeks of negotiations and the pressure is mounting. And they just carry on as if nothing is wrong. Behaving like they're "easy going". That really irritates me, because the situation is extremely serious." Mölzer assists: "Well, from the fall vacations seamlessly into the Christmas vacations. That's not nerve, that's chutzpah. It's downright cheeky. And why does the size of the financial hole come from Brussels? Can't our finance minister say that? It's all a joke. But who is to blame? Which misguided policy caused this in the first place? You have to tell the Austrians: these people who are now supposed to pull the cart out of the mud, who are now supposed to restructure the state, they caused all this!"

Eva Glawischnig, Gerhard Koller, Andreas Mölzer

(Bild: krone.tv)

Will Austria become an EU colony?
Glawischnig puts things into perspective: "Positive things have also happened. Purchasing power is high, if we look at the shopping street now, people are all going into the stores. You can't really get in anymore. The trade association is happy, people are consuming. So something positive has happened: Purchasing power and wages are high." Mölzer counters: "People say it doesn't matter now anyway, before the money is no longer worth anything. Inflation will also come back. These are acts of desperation, the people who are throwing their money out in the shopping streets. And now we will become an EU colony. Because if the deficit procedure comes from the EU, then we will soon have a supervisor from the EU who will have to ask what we are allowed to spend."

"Spending, it doesn't help anyway"
In general, both duelists believe that far too much time is being wasted in the coalition negotiations. Glawischnig: "We only have a few days left and then it's already the fourth Advent. So we won't have a government before January 15th. And I think that's dramatic." Mölzer laconically: "Well, I hope we don't have this government. It will take even longer, as far as I'm concerned. And then fail. That would be good for Austria. And look, Mr. Kurz with his slogan 'Whatever the cost' has of course been a driver of this debt situation. There's no question about that." In general, the two duelists agree that a lot of money is currently being spent during the Christmas period. Mölzer: "It's madness. Of course you shop, what are you going to do? Save the money so that the state and the tax authorities can take it away from you? Spending it won't help anyway."

You can watch "Das Duell" every Tuesday from 21:15 on krone.tv