Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen appealed to the community on Friday evening in view of the widening rifts in society due to the Corona crisis and called not to allow a split. In a televised address, the Federal President described the decision of the federal government with the governors for a lockdown as “right now – even if it came very late.”

“The development in the hospitals is too drastic, the situation in which we have come as a community in dying is too dangerous. It just couldn’t go on like this,” said the Federal President. “It’s about protecting and saving human lives. I ask you, do your part to ensure that we can cope with this fourth wave as well and as quickly as possible,” the Federal President appealed to the citizens.

Van der Bellen pointed out that in a democratic society each and every individual has rights, such as fundamental rights and civil liberties, human rights. But there are also “human duties. The duty to be there for one another. The duty not to look away. The duty to help, to act, the duty to protect our community. And under the circumstances in which we are now, Will one of these obligations now lead to the compulsory vaccination. The lockdown helps us to break the acute wave. The compulsory vaccination can help us to prevent further waves. ”

Warning of division

The Federal President warned urgently against a division in society: “There is a great risk that the rifts will now get even deeper. But we must not allow that. We belong together. We need one another. We depend on one another. We are all Austria. And If the rift also runs right through families and friendships, so when & we now remember that we are families.

“Reciprocal accusations do not solve anything now. Nothing gets better now IF we point the finger at each other and direct our anger against them.” It is our responsibility as citizens not to dominate us now by anger, pain and anger permit. Let us remember our virtues. The ability to see the good in each other. “

The Federal President thanked all Austrians who had been fighting this pandemic for 20 months and also agreed to the future: “The coming weeks will still be required of us. That the fourth wave will be broken and the next one can be prevented. Let’s not be divided. Let’s build a strong community based on solidarity. Please help, “appealed the head of state. (apa)