It was another eventful day around Vienna’s Ballhausplatz between the Federal Chancellery and the Hofburg. Around a hundred opponents of the CoV measures had gathered and shouted loudly against the swearing-in by Nehammer and his new ministers. In the Hofburg itself, however, everything went as usual. It was the fifth swearing in by a Chancellor by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.
Initially, Van der Bellen relieved Alexander Schallenberg, Michael Linhart, Gernot Blümel, Nehammer, Heinz Faßmann and Magnus Brunner (all ÖVP or on ÖVP ticket) from their previous offices at their request. He then promised Nehammer as the new head of government, followed by the new heads of department in the finance, interior and education ministries.
The party is also being rebuilt
The previous State Secretary Brunner will be the new Finance Minister, the former Lower Austrian State Parliament President Gerhard Karner will succeed Nehammer in the Ministry of the Interior. The previous rector of Graz, Martin Polaschek, becomes Minister of Education, Schallenberg is returning from the Chancellery to the Foreign Ministry.
Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) is changing as State Secretary from the MP to the government bank. In addition, there were other personalities in the ÖVP on Monday. In addition to a whole series of press spokespersons, the People’s Party is also changing the top of its general secretariat: Axel Melchior is being followed by Laura Sachslehner, previously a member of the state parliament in Vienna – more on this in wien.ORF.at.
Order of the Federal President
Van der Bellen dismissed the new squad after the ceremony under strict CoV rules, not without warning words. He gave them the task of not arousing false expectations and “pouring pure wine for the population”, making fact-based decisions and informing them about them in comprehensible, joint communication. Since one does not know how things will proceed in the pandemic, one should “not promise anything that later turns out to be not achievable,” said the Federal President. He instructed the new government to tackle the “great task” of resolutely combating the pandemic “immediately and collectively”.
Readiness for dialogue announced
At the subsequent handover in the Federal Chancellery, Nehammer said that he would endeavor to push back the “harm to us all” division in society. The virus pollutes people. It takes a willingness to dialogue and respect. “It is imperative to approach people and take away their worries and fears,” said Nehammer.
He does not want to give series interviews now, so Nehammer in the direction of the media, he pointed out his extensive workload on the pandemic.
Federal Chancellor and Minister sworn in
On Monday, Federal President Van der Bellen swore in Karl Nehammer as the new Federal Chancellor, the new ÖVP ministers and the new ÖVP State Secretary. The swearing-in was initiated by the Federal President with admonishing words: Joint communication with the outside world is needed in order to regain the trust of the population. In Vienna, a few hundred demonstrators protested against the new ÖVP government and the CoV measures.
Busy schedule
The new Chancellor also began talks on Monday with the heads of the other parties, the social partners, the countries and those ministers who are relevant to combating the coronavirus crisis. There will be no grace period: Nehammer plans to hold a press conference on Tuesday morning. The summit from the federal and state governments will follow on Wednesday, at which new opening steps from the current lockdown will be decided.
On Thursday, Nehammer and his team will present themselves in the National Council, which is meeting for the government declaration for the special session. Nehammer will probably be confronted with criticism there. FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl advised him and his entire cabinet to “resign immediately” in a broadcast on Monday.
Photo gallery with 2 pictures
The new ministers also named fighting the pandemic as their first task on Monday: “We have to get the country and location through the crisis well,” said the new Finance Minister Brunner after Blümel had given him the key to Himmelpfortgasse. For Education Minister Polaschek, fighting the pandemic has “top priority”. He got a little “Covid-Ninja” cardboard comrade from his predecessor Faßmann – alluding to the “ninja pass” for schoolchildren.
The new Interior Minister Karner symbolically received the department’s flag from Nehammer’s hands. Karner, a long time ago press spokesman in the Ministry of the Interior, took on the new task with “great respect”. He saw pandemics, migration and cybercrime as his three major challenges that had to be overcome.