The federal government’s current plans for a three-week tightened lockdown have met with fundamental criticism from the opposition parties SPÖ and FPÖ. SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner rated the measure as an admission of guilt for the government’s total failure in corona management. Similar to the FPÖ. “In short, Kogler, Anschober and Nehammer are trying to bury our republic,” said club boss Herbert Kickl in a broadcast.
In a press conference on Saturday, Rendi-Wagner came up against the fact that no preparation had been made for the impending second wave of pandemics. Neither central coordination nor intact contact tracing was taken care of. Even when preparing the intensive care units, the federal government left the states and hospital providers alone. She also rated the fact that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) spoke of the light at the end of the tunnel in August when the second wave had already started as a serious mistake.
The now announced lockdown is an “act of desperation” and shows the federal government’s total loss of control over the infection process, said Rendi-Wagner: “Now all Austrians are being presented with the bill for the federal government’s management failure.” And: “The government must now pull the emergency brake because of its own failure.” If this blind flight continues like this, the next lockdown is already preprogrammed.
A clear no came from the SPÖ boss for the impending end of the regular lessons. The schools should stay open. Limitations in this area are the wrong signal and the wrong measures. Almost all Western countries would have let classes continue despite lockdowns. A stop brings a lot of harm, little benefit and is “highly irresponsible”.
“The government has not learned anything”
Incidentally, there was hardly any involvement of the opposition, according to Rendi-Wagner. A short conference call is promised, in which one will probably find out what has been circulating in the media for days.
“The government has not learned anything,” said Kickl about the previously known lockdown measures. Apparently since spring one has put one’s hands in one’s lap and has not thought about anything. Now they are resorting to completely excessive means and driving Austria into ruin. The fundamental rights and freedoms are also being massively intervened once again.
All areas of life such as the economy, labor market, culture, education and sport have already been massively and, to a large extent, irreparably damaged. Aid funds are being paid out slowly or not at all. The situation is dramatic – but not primarily because of the corona virus, but because of the incompetence, self-importance and resistance to advice of the ÖVP and the Greens, said Kickl.
Neos: “Government has failed”
NEOS chairwoman Beate Meinl-Reisinger also blames the coalition for the second lockdown: “This government has failed,” she said in a press conference on Saturday afternoon. The Kurz cabinet had been the only job in the past few months to prevent a second “lockdown”. Many countries, including those in Austria’s neighborhood, have shown that this is possible. Because of the school closings, the NEOS boss wants to examine legal steps.
Meinl-Reisinger explained that parents had already turned to her when they wanted to turn to the highest courts. Look at that now. Without the school closings, which for the NEOS chairwoman goes hand in hand with an “end of the basic right to education”, her party in the main committee would even agree to measures such as the 24-hour exit restriction. Meinl-Reisinger also appealed to the population to comply with the requirements this time.
Millions have already done this and now have to foot the bill as well as the economy, for which the current situation is a “catastrophe”. Meinl-Reisinger expects that “legally clean, solid measures will be put on the table” quickly. The government is also called upon to do something to prevent the summer’s omissions from happening again. Among other things, this involves expanding contact tracing and testing. (apa)
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