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Criticism of the distribution of corona vaccines in the EU is causing Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) and his party to increasingly shake up the coalition with the Greens. On Saturday, President Gaby Schwarz attacked the sick Rudolf Anschober’s Ministry of Health for the first time, and in the afternoon the Chancellor himself moved away. It was about the role of top ministry officials in the distribution of vaccines. The ÖVP demanded the dismissals.
It all started on Saturday morning when Ines Stilling, Secretary General of the Green Health Ministry and Minister of Chancellery in the short term in the transitional government of Bierlein, contradicted the criticism in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal”. Negotiations on distribution in the EU were “balanced and transparent”. All member states, including Austria, would have had the opportunity to buy quotas of free vaccines.
There are no bazaar methods, Stilling said to Kurz, who had denounced him on Friday. The distribution of vaccines is also an ongoing issue in the Council of Ministers, so the Federal Chancellery is also kept informed. Since January, Austria has even had its own steering committee for procurement and delivery schedules with the participation of the Federal Chancellery, Stilling added.
Auer suspension request
ÖVP health spokesperson Schwarz demanded the immediate suspension of Stillings, but also of senior black official Clemens Martin Auer, who plays a leading role in the procurement of vaccines in the EU. This is unavoidable. In particular, the question arises as to how contracts could be concluded that would have resulted in other EU countries receiving more vaccines and why the agreement of the EU heads of state and government was broken. “It is difficult to imagine that (Health Minister Rudolf, note) Anschober knew about this in detail. It is important to find out if he was misled by the responsible officials of the Ministry of Health.”
If initially there were no comments from the Federal Chancellery, Kurz then spoke personally. It was agreed that everyone would receive the same number of doses of vaccine per head, but that did not happen, he told the newspaper “Austria”. Kurz also called for full transparency about the deals at the national level. “I urge the ministry to examine now how this could happen. I very much hope that officials have adhered to the policy guidelines,” said the Chancellor: “The Ministry of Health must disclose the contracts and all orders made so that it is clear if we really could have asked for more vaccines here. “
After Stilling’s interview, the Health Ministry had tried to smooth things over. The common goal is to vaccinate as quickly as possible and in European harmony. The vaccination campaign was a joint project of the federal government from the beginning. “The objective in this crucial phase must be a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines within the EU to guarantee simultaneous vaccination activity,” it was emphasized.
The opposition criticizes the ÖVP
The opposition again made critical comments about the ÖVP’s activities. He soon discovered the guilt of the EU, said FPÖ club boss Herbert Kickl: “This message is so important to the Chancellor that he is even willing to seriously harm his own colleague from the ÖVP party, the special representative for health. Clemens Martin Auer. At the same time it was Kurz who forced the man from the ÖVP to act as coordinator of the crown in the green health minister in order to govern in the department of Anschober. “
The fact that the Chancellor was looking for scapegoats was also the opinion of SPÖ Federal Managing Director Christian Deutsch: “Now it is our own government officials who are responsible for the fact that Kurz did not seek additional contingents.” The Chancellor himself, however, has political responsibility. The fact that he is cleaning himself with Health Ministry officials while his boss is ill with Anschober and cannot comment is “particularly regrettable.”
Neos’ health spokesman Gerald Loacker was also irritated. “Politicians should not clean up with officials. Especially if they have ordered them in advance, have given them a negotiation coupon and have given them a clear budget,” he explained. (apa)
