Mistakes acknowledged

Schallenberg: “I regret harsh formulations”

The outgoing interim chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP)

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

Outgoing interim chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) has admitted mistakes during his first term in office. "I regret some of the harsh language I used as chancellor during the pandemic," he said. "And if I hurt people as a result, then I regret that".

The FPÖ would still make the coronavirus pandemic a political issue today, "carrying it around like a monstrance". "We probably all underestimated how disruptive the experience of the pandemic was and how deeply it affected society. We had to restrict personal freedoms in a way that we had never seen before," said Schallenberg.

The decisions made at the time were "even applauded in wide circles in Europe" and the vaccination requirement never came into force. In most European countries, the coronavirus pandemic is no longer a political issue.

Schallenberg at the handover of office with former Chancellor Karl Nehammer

(Bild: BKA/ Andy Wenzel)

You can agree with it or not, but I don't think you can accuse me of not knowing what I stand for.

Schallenberg über seinen Kurs

Proud of transatlantic relations
In his almost six years in office, Schallenberg is proud of the "very strong intensification of the neighborhood policy" with the Central European countries and a "very clear course" in terms of transatlantic relations. "You can agree with this or not, but I don't think you can accuse me of not knowing what I stand for," he said with regard to Russia and Israel.

Schallenberg took office as Foreign Minister in 2019 as part of the minority government following the Ibiza affair. He was briefly Federal Chancellor in 2021 after the fall of Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP).

Professional future uncertain
Now he is retiring from top politics. He wants a change of scenery. In any case, he had been asked whether he wanted to be part of the new three-party coalition, the politician clarified. His decision then left the Foreign Ministry "free". This is now to go to NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

The 55-year-old has "no fixed plan yet" for his professional future. For family reasons, he would prefer to stay in Austria "at the moment", said the law graduate. He is taking his time to reorient himself. "There was Alexander Schallenberg before politics. There will also be Alexander Schallenberg after politics",