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Sebastian Kurz (34) is proud of himself. His country is now receiving 199,000 doses of vaccines instead of 139,000, which is “a solid result”. The Austrian Chancellor reported on negotiations for the distribution of ten million doses of the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. The EU had discussed it for two weeks.
But the supposed success story is in truth a defeat for the Austrian head of government. For the following 5 reasons:
1. Your lock failed
The EU will receive a special quota of ten million doses of the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine in the second quarter. As some EU countries are lagging behind in terms of vaccinations due to Astrazeneca administration problems, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council wanted to reserve three of the ten million doses of vaccines for six countries in particular need: Bulgaria , Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Republic. The remaining seven million vaccine doses would be distributed among the 27 states, as usual, according to the proportion of the population.
Briefly rejected, although Austria has already fully vaccinated nearly 4 percent more people than Bulgaria, for example.
After weeks of negotiations, a pragmatic approach was agreed. Germany and other countries are now donating a good 2.8 million doses of corona vaccine to Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia and Slovakia so that they are not left behind during the vaccination campaign. Only Germany dispenses with half a million doses of vaccines. Only Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia do not participate.
2. Ösi’s partner, Czech Republic, fares even worse
The reason for the rejection is that the Czech Republic is not receiving the necessary doses of vaccine, says Kurz. But that is not true: the Portuguese proposal provided for an additional allocation for the Czech Republic, which no longer exists.
It is not clear why this seemed cheaper for Prague.
Now, however, Austria is entering the gap. Vienna will send 30,000 doses of vaccines to Prague, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Friday.
3. Brussels is crazy
Kurz’s refusal to show solidarity worsens relations with Brussels. The chancellor announced weeks ago that he would no longer depend on the EU for the vaccine. Cash PR, traveled to Israel to forge a vaccination alliance and announced the purchase of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.
One looks at this with awe in Brussels. An EU diplomat ventured quite undiplomatically: “In the Robin Hood costume of Kurz and his two friends he was just the sinister Sheriff of Nottingham. They take vaccines but they don’t share them. “
4. Kurz has bet
Basically: each of the 27 states is entitled to a share based on population size. That is the 199,000 cans that Austria is receiving now because it refuses to make a donation.
However, Kurz had apparently started the Zoff to get more out of it. At the start of the distribution dispute, I expected around 400,000 cans.
5. Vaccine doses are only peanuts
Biontech / Pfizer’s special delivery of 10 million vaccine doses is quite small compared to the total expected delivery of 360 million vaccine doses for the EU in the second quarter.
If Kurz had participated in the solidarity campaign, he would have dispensed with 60,000 doses of vaccines in the short term, which is enough for 30,000 people or 0.3 percent of the Austrian population. Furthermore, because Kurz is now supporting his ally, the Czech Republic, on his own and shipping 30,000 doses of vaccine to Prague, his “gain” in the vaccination dispute is only 30,000 doses for his own country. That is only enough for 15,000 people.
Austria would not have needed the hassle. With just under 17 doses of vaccination per 100 people or 4.8 percent of those fully vaccinated, Austria is as good as Switzerland or Germany and is clearly one of the pioneers within the EU.
Hard Easter Lock: Austria is doing what Germany left(00:38)
Posted: Apr 2, 2021, 6:17 pm
Last Updated: April 3, 2021, 10:05 am
