2023-04-27 23:24:24
MPs deal with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome petition and pass resolution to improve research and care
Vienna (PK) – The war in Ukraine and its consequences are also reflected in Austria’s defense policy. At today’s National Council meeting, there was a cross-party consensus on the need to revise the Austrian Security Strategy from 2013 with regard to current developments and threats. Equally unanimous was the approval of the deputies for a financial revaluation of foreign missions in order to make them more attractive for the soldiers in view of the general shortage of personnel.
Also on the agenda was a petition aimed at raising awareness and improving medical care for people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome – ME/CFS for short). On this basis, the National Council unanimously adopted a resolution, according to which both the health and the science ministers are asked to advocate better diagnostic and therapeutic care, greater consideration of postviral and postinfectious syndromes in medical guidelines, the establishment of an advisory committee and to promote interdisciplinary exchange.
In the course of the debate, a motion for a resolution was also tabled and adopted by all political groups, in which it was requested that the current Women’s Health Report 2022 be officially forwarded to Parliament as a subject for discussion.
Overhaul of the security strategy and upgrading of foreign missions
The revised assessment of the military threat situation in Europe is to be taken into account by the revision of the Austrian security strategy. According to the initiative of the Freedom Party, this is more than ten years old and does not contain any current threat scenarios such as those caused by the war in Ukraine or the risk of a blackout (2414/A(E)). The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously by MPs from the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, taking into account an amendment tabled in the Defense Committee. It calls on the federal government to revise the 2013 security strategy as quickly as possible, involving all the parliamentary groups represented in the Main Committee of the National Council and taking into account the guidelines of the EU’s “strategic compass”.
On the basis of an initiative by NEOS (3132/A(E)), all parliamentary groups are also calling in a joint application to amend the Foreign Allowances and Assistance Act (AZHG). The aim is to make participation in foreign assignments generally more attractive in order to be able to ensure a corresponding “staffing” in the future. In the original application, unfavorable salary regulations are criticized in particular, which is one of the reasons for the lack of soldiers on foreign missions.
Cross-party consensus on defense issues
With the appointment of Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, a “sustainable trend reversal” was initiated in the army, said ÖVP military spokesman Friedrich Ofenauer, referring to the increases in the defense budget in recent years. Due to the changed geopolitical situation, now is the right time to adapt the security strategy accordingly. It is important in this process to involve experts and all parliamentary groups and to consider the European “security compass”, as Ofenauer explained. He emphasized the importance of the comprehensive national defense laid down in the constitution for Austria’s security and military capability, because “being rich and weak” is “not a good combination”. ÖVP Mandator Manfred Hofinger addressed the security policy relevance of foreign missions and the need to make them attractive to soldiers.
Robert Laimer from the Social Democrats was pleased that “it is now also clear to the federal government” that the security strategy needs to be renewed. He and his parliamentary colleague Reinhold Einwallner emphatically underlined the need to involve all parties, since an updated strategy without broad parliamentary support is “worthless”. According to Laimer, national defense is a task for society as a whole and requires modern security architecture, which might be implemented, for example, by a security center in the Federal Chancellery. In addition, like Rudolf Silvan (SPÖ), he insisted on Austrian neutrality, which had proven itself historically.
Volker Reifenberger (FPÖ) recalled that the initiative originally came from his parliamentary group, demonstrating that the opposition might also make a difference. It is therefore important for them to be involved in the creation of the new security strategy at an early stage and not just let them “nod” at the end. The FPÖ will pay attention to how neutrality as an Austrian “identity feature” is dealt with in this process. According to Reifenberger, the reference to the EU’s “strategic compass” in the joint application already partially contradicts it. In addition, the construction plan for the federal army should have been anchored in the constitution so that the project might not be “torpedoed” by another government, Gerhard Kaniak (FPÖ) pointed out. Risks to internal security and national sovereignty, which might arise from a shortage of medicines, for example, must also be taken seriously in the civilian sector.
For David Stögmüller (Greens), the main question is how Austria positions itself in terms of defense policy within the EU and what neutrality means in concrete terms. He emphasized the dangers currently emanating from Russia, which is “undermining” democracies worldwide, and assured broad parliamentary involvement in the creation of an up-to-date security strategy. It is important to the Greens that the European context, the concerns of women in particular in peace policy and climate protection are also taken into account in the security area.
Douglas Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff (NEOS) also considered it unacceptable that Russia was still listed as a partner in the current security strategy. The federal government is announcing a broad and open discourse, but is already banning the opposition from thinking, for example with regard to permanent neutrality. In addition, Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff showed a lack of understanding that the national defense report was not made public in the interest of a broad discussion.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner was pleased that party politics were largely left out of these security-related issues. Much has already been achieved through this cross-party cooperation, as she noted with a view to the State Defense Financing Act (LV-FinG), for example. This made it possible to plan in this area for the first time in the Second Republic. When she took office, Tanner found an enormous need for investment in a wide variety of areas, which is now being gradually covered. She attaches particular importance to the spiritual defense of the country, because Austria must develop into a “well-fortified democracy”.
Petition: Recognizing ME/CFS and Expanding Medical Care
The National Council also dealt with a petition calling for the recognition, medical care and social security of ME/CFS patients as well as the funding of research on this disease ( 80/PET ). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a severe multisystem disease that affects between 26,000 and 80,000 people in Austria. They suffer from extremely limited performance and severe fatigue, which means that everyday activities become very challenging or almost impossible. According to the petition, those affected urgently need support in four fields of action: awareness-raising through information and education for doctors and the population, development and financing of medical treatment and care structures, social security for those affected and financial support for research on ME/CFS.
As early as 1969, ME/CFS was classified as a neurological disease, explained Heike Gebien from the Green Party. Nevertheless, the disease is still little known and is often “dismissed as psychosomatic” – also because, according to Grebien, the majority of women are affected. Sick people felt that they were not taken seriously and were stigmatized, as SPÖ mandater Eva Maria Holzleitner reported. Gerhard Kaniak (FPÖ) described the fact that it takes an average of five to eight years and 13 doctors for a correct diagnosis to be “shocking”. He advocated investing more resources in early detection and innovative diagnostics in order to shorten waiting times for other diseases as well. Since the symptoms of ME/CFS are similar to those of Long Covid patients, the pandemic has increasingly brought the disease into focus, as Elisabeth Scheucher-Pichler explained. Like Andreas Minnich, Kira Grünber (both ÖVP) and NEOS MP Fiona Fiedler, she was pleased with the cross-party support for the issue. The fact that the petition made it to the plenum and led to a unanimous resolution is an important signal to those affected, who, following often years of “suffering”, can now feel that they are being taken seriously, explained Health Minister Johannes Rauch. (Continued National Council) wit
NOTE: Meetings of the National Council and the Federal Council can also be followed via live stream and are available as video-on-demand in Parliament’s media library.
Questions & contact:
Press service of the Parliamentary Directorate
parliamentary correspondence
Tel. +43 1 40110/2272
press service@parlament.gv.at
www.facebook.com/OeParl
www.twitter.com/oeparl
1682640476
#National #Council #Unanimity #revision #Austrian #security #strategy #upgrading #foreign #missions
