Corona in Austria: New Measures – Politics
This week it was that time again: After a long debate, an “Austrian solution” was presented. Among them we in Austria the attempt to solve a problem through a lazy compromise, which everyone involved unhappily understands and ultimately only makes everything worse.
To give just one example: a few years ago the longest shopping street in my hometown Vienna – Mariahilferstrasse – was supposed to become a pedestrian zone. For this purpose, the road between the wide sidewalks should be closed to motorists. The result: a long and passionate one Dispute between drivers and shoppers. In the end there was a compromise, they united in the so-called encounter zone. When shopping, pedestrians still die next to polluting cars – and when doing so, they have to be careful not to be run over by them.
If you think of the Austrian solution, you could also say: My compatriots are a little incapable of making decisions. At least on Wednesday, when the federal government wanted to die because of the willingness to die, the corona numbers suitable for new measures.
The greatest outrage was triggered by the new mask regulation. From next week on, the FFP2 mask will replace mouth and nose protection, but: not for everyone and not everywhere. In the future, unvaccinated people will have to go to stores that do not serve their daily needs (e.g. in fashion stores in the encounter zone)
Nobody knows who should control this (the sales representatives referred to the police, the police said they had better things to do). But that’s not the point, it doesn’t matter. It’s about the political message.
And that means: Dear vaccinated people, the vaccination has paid off, so you no longer have to wear a mask. Dear unvaccinated people, you should finally get vaccinated, and until the time comes, you have to wear a mask again (but don’t feel compelled and please love us anyway).
There is no need for swishy rules that no one understands
One could also say: The turquoise-green federal government currently needs to please from a disease, the disease, to want to please everyone, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. And I don’t know about you, but whenever I do something to please someone, I feel a bit like these measures read a bit: irrational and embarrassing.
We all know by now that a life without restrictions WILL only be possible IF enough people have been vaccinated (in Austria almost 60 percent are fully vaccinated so far) – this requires clear, positive incentives, no wishy-washy rules that nobody understands .
A look at Germany could point the way at the moment. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has announced a “vaccination week” there, which is intended to induce at least five million more people to vaccinate – with the help of associations, celebrities and lots of advertising. The measure is no less desperate than my colleague Angelika Slavik commented here, but at least it is conclusive and consistent. And above all: no Austrian solution.
This column will also appear in September 10, 2021 Austria newsletter, which bundles reporting on Austria in the SZ. Register here for free.