"Krone" commentary

The new style: brute or friendly?

Analyzed for the "Krone": domestic policy expert Claus Pándi

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

It is well known that election campaigns hardly ever produce glorious ideas. Mercifully, the phases of vote-bashing used to be limited in time. Now, however, Austrians have been confronted with a series of election campaigns for some time. Islands of wisdom are therefore appearing less and less frequently in the ocean of bluntness.

One is already happy when political personnel behave in a reasonably civilized manner. As in the Burgenland election campaign. There, the stupidity and rudeness were limited. Perhaps people are smarter there? Or is it because Burgenland is so small and everyone simply behaves better out of shame at running into their competitors the next day?

The respectful tone could have a positive effect on coexistence in Burgenland.

Otherwise, we have had to deal with absurdities recently. First the disastrous end to the talks between Nehammer, Babler and Meinl-Reisinger. Then the public humiliation of the ÖVP by its partner and presumed future chancellor Kickl.

That is poison for the soul of a country.

In which even the avoidance of election campaigns now leads to spitefulness. For example, as the FPÖ leader of Salzburg, Marlene Svazek, recently ranted defiantly about Karoline Edtstadler as the future governor of Salzburg, saying that she was not worthy of dissolving the state government.

One wonders: will this brute style become the new style - or Burgenland friendliness?