Mercosur brings Stocker’s first power struggle – Diepresse.com

The first weeks of the new government were surprising apart from political content at the coalitional mood level. And astonishingly uniform: even the much deeper budget hole did not separate the three parties; Despite the deficit man, the SPÖ did not insist on new asset taxes that are still vehemently required in the election campaign and even the planned transportation of ex-ÖVP boss Karl Nehammer into a top job in the EU banking sector by proposing the red financial department does not ensure publicly visible complications.

Last weekend, however, a power struggle surprisingly broke out, the first publicly held in the head of Christian Stockers at the head of the government and the People’s Party. The trigger was a « press » interview by a government colleague Stocker: In it, Economic Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) said that Austria « now needs the Mercosur Agreement ».

Vote still this year

The background to the whole is the economic upheavals by the US tariffs; In view of which you have to look at other markets. And at this point, the EU agreement comes into play with the Mercosur states of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The pact, which has been negotiated for more than two decades, could bring an enormous free trade zone, the tariffs were almost entirely fell. The trading volume of this room was well over 100 billion euros in 2023 – according to the Chamber of Commerce, the annual added value for Austria is more than one billion euros, according to the industrial association, around 32,000 jobs are already hanging in Austria. Export hits are machines, measuring devices and steel products, but also food. Austria has a massive surplus with the Mercosur states, so exports much more than imported. And in the coming months, the agreement at the EU level should be voted on.

« Massive risks for farmers »

How Austria will vote at the EU level could be a stress test for the young government. Because the government is not only divided on the economic policy question, but also the ÖVP- in which the economic wing has been heard on the intra-party superiority of employee and farmer representatives for years.

The farmers’ association immediately moved out against Hattmannsdorfer. « Mercosur means massive risks for our farmers, especially due to the impending flood of cheap imports from South America, which endanger our high-quality food, » said farmers’ association President Georg Strasser (ÖVP). The previous no « remains », he said, US tariffs or not. Lower Austria’s farmers’ head of farmers Paul Nemecek even judged that he could not see the improvements in the pact that « the supposed new ÖVP star (meant Hattmannsdorfer).

Agriculture Minister Norbert Tettschnig (ÖVP)-he knew from the Mercosur position of the Minister of Economic Affairs-also pointed out that Austria’s no to the Mercosur pact was currently fixed by a « legally binding decision of the National Council ». The 2019 game of forces in parliament was caught in 2019. However, it could be changed at any time.

In contrast, however, the SPÖ also defends itself. The Social Democrats remained vague at the weekend, and on Monday there was a specific announcement on « Press » request: In the office of Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, it was stated that there is « an upright parliamentary decision from 2019 to reject the trade agreement ». And: « We are currently seeing no reason to shake it, » says Babler.

Not regulated in the program

In the turquoise-red-pink government program, it was agreed that “social and ecological standards are observed and promoted in international trade agreements,” says the Vice Chancellor. However, the word « Mercosur » does not appear in the 240-page government program. The NEOS are for the agreement. But there is also a broad front outside of the government: FPÖ and the Greens also reject the pact, the same applies to the Chamber of Workers and Trade Union Confederation.

And the head of government? Is the different wing of his party on the side of the industrial and business representatives in the first show of strength? Or is he in the camp of the mighty farmers’ association? Neither nor: On Monday, it was explained on request that Stocker would not comment on the subject of mercosuri.