State of Tyrol: New Year’s speech 2021 Governor Günther Platter

Dear Tyrolese!

2020 was an extremely challenging year. The corona pandemic hit us hard. “The winter season is over”, “The Tyrol is isolated” and “Stay away” were the serious announcements this year.

After Tyrol’s self-isolation, I looked outside my office on Maria-Theresien-Strasse at night. The whole street was deserted. It was incomprehensible to me what fell on us and the whole world from one day to the next. All Innsbruck was dead. I will never forget this image of the deserted city. Certainly all of you have images of this type that have been etched in your head. But one thing is for sure: none of us will ever forget 2020.

I often had to announce decisions last year that I never would have imagined before. Overnight, our country rebooted from 100 to 0. That was the most difficult political decision for me. In this way, however, we were able to repel the first coronavirus attack quickly and effectively. Within a few weeks, only three people in Tyrol were infected with the virus. Tyrol’s self-isolation was successful.

We were all hopeful after the worst was over. But the opposite happened. After a temporary recovery in the summer, the second wave hit us in full force in the fall. It hit the world and us much harder than scientists predicted. The result was more restrictions and deprivation.

The coronavirus presented us all with new challenges every day. We had to make many decisions, often in a very short time. In hindsight, not all decisions turned out to be correct. But they always tried to deal with the pandemic in the best possible way, in cooperation with federal, state and local authorities.

One thing was very important to me last year: that we achieve a balance between health, finances and personal freedom. I am also aware of how drastic the past year was for the Tyrolean economy and Tyrolean employees. But can you believe me: finding this balance between health, economy and freedom is, in Tyrolean terms, a fine line.

Dear Tyrolese!

Through this corona pandemic, we have seen how we, as a society, grapple with an existential crisis. A crisis that has never been seen in this form and intensity. After such a difficult year, as Governor of Tyrol, I am incredibly proud of how we handled this difficult time together.

First of all, the medical staff, who have been doing an excellent job in a state of emergency for ten months, but also all the emergency services, crisis teams and volunteers. This pandemic has left its mark on families, professional life and society as a whole. Many people became victims of this pandemic and could not receive a proper farewell. Thousands of people battled a serious illness. At the same time, many have overcome each other in this crisis and have grown closely together in many places.

Although the virus has caused much suffering and concern, there are also many positive rays of hope. I will never forget the tremendous wave of aid during this pandemic. We can always count on the commitment of countless volunteers. Even in a crisis of this type, our democratic pillars and our common values ​​are inviolable.

I am also very grateful that in our country we can afford to work with the federal government to take relief measures to cushion the worst consequences for employers and employees. In particular, however, that we can help Tyrolean people in need.

Dear Tyrolese!

There are good prospects for next year. Last Sunday, the first Tyrolean woman was vaccinated against the corona virus. I am sure that with vaccination in 2021 we will regain our old life.

We will have to struggle for a long time with the economic consequences of the pandemic. Therefore, we will fight the consequences of this pandemic with all our strength in the coming years: finances, the location of companies and the labor market, as well as social peace will be the focus of our work.

We entered this crisis in Tyrol with the lowest level of indebtedness. Therefore, we will be in a better position after the crisis than some before the crisis, and we will use this financial margin to reactivate the economy and employment.

The tasks that await us are enormous, there is nothing to downplay. But I am sure that Tyrol will recover soon and that we will pull Tyrol out of the greatest crisis since World War II at full speed. Because the state of Tyrol has a stable financial situation, the state of Tyrol is an attractive commercial and industrial place and the state of Tyrol is and will remain the main tourist destination. Our country’s largest base, however, is the working families, entrepreneurs, and employees who board and drive the country back in Tyrolean style. But we will also address other important issues such as climate change, energy transition, transit, and affordable housing.

Dear Tyrolese!
At the end of my New Years speech, I ask all of you, both those who are always cautious and those who are skeptical: Let us be united and consider one another. This cohesion is an old Tyrolean approach to values. With this attitude I am sure that we will overcome this crisis and that Tyrol will also be a beautiful and promising country for the next generations.

So I wish you and your families a happy and healthy 2021.

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