Public Holiday: Ceremony at Heldenplatz dominated by Corona – Austria

Unsurprisingly, the crown pandemic dominated the ceremony at Heldenplatz on the occasion of the national holiday, both visually and in terms of content. Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) prepared the population for the harsh autumn and winter months and the impending “efforts”: “The next few months will be a show of force for all of us.” Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen called for cohesion, because “we are sitting together in the same boat in very rough seas.”

The ceremony was carried out in a very small way. Both the traditional military display, which would have turned 25, and the tours of the Hofburg, parliament and the minister were only conducted online or canceled at all. Only the ceremony of laying the wreath by the Federal President and the Federal Government was carried out as usual. The also traditional oath of recruits was carried out on a limited basis, only twelve instead of the originally planned 300 recruits were sworn in. The weather was also not very cooperative, the flyby of three Eurofighters and four Saab 105s could only be heard but not seen due to the thick cloud cover. A large area of ​​Heldenplatz was cordoned off to keep the few spectators who had arrived at a distance.

Van der Bellen explicitly greeted the recruits whose swearing in at Heldenplatz was canceled and appealed to the unit. “We have to stick together to overcome this storm.” As long as there is no vaccine, the best recipe to overcome this pandemic is solidarity. “Look at each other. Help each other. These very Austrian characteristics help us in the pandemic,” said the federal president.

Chancellor Kurz first recalled the importance of today’s national holiday. “Peace, freedom, and prosperity, which we often take for granted, are truly anything but natural.” However, he devoted most of his speech to the crown pandemic. “This crisis is undoubtedly one of the toughest challenges we have had to face as a society since World War II.”

“I know this crisis demands a lot from all of us.” Many are “exhausted, they don’t want to know anything more about Corona and they just can’t.” As a citizen, he wants to tell you: “I understand that. I don’t want to have to wear a mask, suffer restrictions, and have parties whenever I feel like it.” But as head of government it is not your job to say what some want to hear. “So I have to tell you that you will have to live with the virus for many months. We will have to hold out until a vaccine allows us to return to normal.” If frustration, resentment, or anger escalate, remember “this crisis is not permanent and an end is in sight.”

The Chancellor praised all the institutions in the country and especially the Austrian Armed Forces, which had achieved “great things in this crisis.” “The last few months have shown once again that crises like this cannot be overcome without a functioning armed forces.” Therefore, equipping the army will remain a priority for the government.

Defense Minister Tanner also thanked the Federal Army soldiers for their services. Since the first wave, thousands of soldiers have worked to overcome the crisis and have worked millions of hours. And now, “in the middle of the second wave, we have to realize that this battle is far from being won and that we still need our army to overcome this crisis.”

The crisis in the crown and the associated initial mobilization of the militia had shown how important the militia was and that there was much to be done in this area. “The military must practice regularly and be well-equipped.” National military defense belongs to the armed forces, and that must also be the case in the future. The soldiers of the future should be able to do much more than before. “You have to be prepared for the digital fight and defense against terrorist attacks or blackouts,” said the minister.

But society also needs to rethink. Current polls show that many people are very reluctant to defend their country. “This is a drastic testimony and a great social challenge. We have to revive this comprehensive national defense. It has to be carried out in schools, businesses and even in families,” Tanner said.

The ORF’s television broadcast of the event was repeatedly interrupted by short films in which Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky featured the military. Among them was a Chechen-born soldier who recounted his childhood memories of the war in the Russian republic and the disabled athlete and Paralympic winner Walter Ablinger.

In view of the national holiday, the SPÖ is calling for a “national show of force” to combat the corona pandemic. “The government must take central responsibility for crisis management. Moderation alone is not enough,” said SP leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner via Facebook. In addition, it is important to carefully weigh between protecting health and protecting human rights.

Criticism of the staging of the festivities came from the FPÖ. “The government and the federal president are completing their standard program on today’s national holiday,” but the population must stay home, FP club boss Herbert Kickl criticized in a broadcast. He called on the government to prepare Austrians for a life with the coronavirus and to expand medical care.

In view of the national holiday, NEOS once again called for a common European army. Neutrality was previously necessary, said Vice Club boss Nikolaus Scherak at ORF, but: “It’s very simple that the world has continued to develop. This discussion must be faced.