The deportation of three schoolgirls to Georgia and Armenia has been causing a stir in Austria for days. Federal President Alexander van der Bellen has now joined the debate.
Munich – Strictly speaking, is Alexander van der Bellen no more green. Since 2016, when he was in charge of the Austrian Federal President candidate, he lets his membership dormant, he wants as perceived bipartisan will. But when he stepped in front of the cameras and entered his office on Thursday Video produced, which soon landed in the social networks, it no longer sounded presidential-bearing. A deeply green spirit spoke from the President’s words, and it is seriously disturbed right now.
Austria has been participating in the for days Fate of three schoolgirls from Georgia and Armenia. Long before they and their families were on Thursday night flown to their home countries a debate rolled through the country as to whether this measure was justifiable, humanly and legally. The girls are integrated in an exemplary mannersaid some. The families held out for years illegal in the country up, argued the other side. At five in the morning, a police bus set off in front of the Vienna deportation center, watched by a hundred police officers, 160 demonstrators, barking police dogs and many media representatives.
Deportation in Austria: Van der Bellen asks about “the rights of children”
“I cannot and will not believe that we live in a country where this is really necessary in this form,” said the Federal President twelve hours later into the camera. In the two and a half minute speech he spoke of “Reason, a sense of proportion, humanity”that he missed and asked, “It wouldn’t have one legal leeway given? What about children’s rights? “
The questions were directed primarily at Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP)who vehemently defended the deportation. The stake that many disturbing pictures produced, was necessary “to get here the Rule of law to breakthrough to help ”. His ministry referred to several high court judgments that provided for deportation. The fact that the families lived in Austria for so long was due not least to that Ignoring regulatory requirements traced back.
Concentrated resentment: Federal President Alexander van der Bellen (left) clearly distances himself from the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
© HANS PUNZ / dpa
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Deportation in Austria: Questions from the Federal President highlight the coalition
That from the Hofburg, the official seat of the Federal President, so openly questions critical of the government are asked is not only extremely unusual, but also throws in Spotlight on the coalition. The Greens, van der Bellen’s ex-party, are the junior partner. Against the Deportation of families they resisted as vehemently as ultimately unsuccessfully. That leaves wounds.
Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober, who in the pandemic * always at the side of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz * occurs, called the procedure “inhuman and intolerable”. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler formulated almost word for word. In the direction of Nehammers, he pointed out that there was “no mandatory legal obligation” well integrated school children to deport.
Also the debate about children born in Austria Access to citizenship to facilitate is picking up speed. Minister for the Environment Leonore Gewessler finally threw the coalition partner one more Staging at the expense of the innocent before: “Some in the ÖVP are convinced that they need these images to Votes A lot broke in the early Vienna morning hours. (mbe) * merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network
List of rubric lists: © HANS PUNZ / dpa
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