Corona pandemic, then Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and expensive transformation in the energy sector – “Europe is in one of the most difficult crises,” Wienerberger boss Heimo Scheuch told journalists in Vienna on Tuesday. This not only affects the economic situation, but also the social one – characterized by education and health. This also applies to Austria, “which is part of Europe and cannot break away from it.”
Scheuch largely denies those in government the ability to deal with all the challenges: “Covid was not necessarily managed very well – the EU cannot manage crises,” he said. Even though Corona was a major health crisis, it is important to recognize what could have been done better. “There is no will to reform – you just carry on as if nothing had happened,” criticized the CEO.
With the war in Ukraine, Europe quickly encountered a second problem: “It’s also about the future of Europe – are we an appendage of NATO, of America?” And in the wake of the war came the issue of energy. It is also about the competitiveness of European industry. “We have these issues and we have to solve them,” said Scheuch.
What is needed is a Europe that is safe and that can defend itself. Security, including cybersecurity, is an essential part of this Europe – “and clearing out regulations.”
“People’s dissatisfaction with political leadership is the same everywhere – not just in Austria, it’s the same in England, in America,” said the head of the building materials company, which operates over 280 locations worldwide. “At the European level and in Austria, there is a lack of critical debate and discussion of a wide variety of viewpoints – Europe is in crisis and we have to learn, otherwise we only have populist issues,” said Scheuch.
