The Green politician bears the “main responsibility” for the “Schwurbler casserole in Austria,” said state managing director Matthias Zauner. Among other things, “failure in vaccination education” was identified. Rauch had asked State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) to cancel the funding commitment to clubs led by Corona denier Martin Rutter.
Responsibility for Schwurbler casserole
“It’s not enough to schoolmasters with the raised index finger from the Vienna minister’s office, because as health minister he of course bears the main responsibility for the Schwurbler casserole in Austria. Rauch fails to provide vaccination information, otherwise such clubs would not be able to exist due to a lack of supporters,” said Zauner .
“Incidentally, vaccination education does not mean advertising for the pharmaceutical industry or teaching-like behavior, but rather credible, factual and understandable information at eye level. The minister has so far been completely invisible. This has gone so far that many still believe that smoke is fruit juice and no minister!” Zauner continued.
The criticism of Minister Rauch brought Green Party health spokesman Ralph Schallmeiner into the spotlight on Saturday. The accusation of failure in vaccination education can be answered “with a single sentence from the government program of the black-blue coalition: ‘The state of Lower Austria will no longer carry out advertising measures for the corona vaccination.'” Mikl-Leitner is the alliance with the FPÖ and bear the “ultimate political responsibility” for the financial support of “an association that spreads falsehoods and conspiracy theories and endangers the health of people in Lower Austria”. Mikl-Leitner must “immediately withdraw” the association’s funding, Schallmeiner also emphasized.
Funding for Corona deniers
The stumbling block is an association for vaccination victims led by Corona denier Rutter. According to media reports, the association based in Carinthia is said to have founded at least 24 branches in districts and statutory cities in Lower Austria. The fund supports a maximum of three projects per organization, each with up to 5,000 euros. The advertising is that the events are “supported by the state of Lower Austria”.
According to the spokesman for the responsible state council, Christoph Luisser (FPÖ), several applications from Rutter’s clubs were approved. No money has flowed yet. The final disbursement of the funding will only take place following a final check to ensure that all requirements are met and that there is no multiple funding, it said. According to APA information, a payout to the Rutter clubs is considered highly unlikely.
“Completely baseless information”
On Friday, following media reports regarding one of the vaccination victim events via X (formerly Twitter), Rauch stated that the clubs were spreading “completely untenable and factual information”. Funding the events by the state of Lower Austria would be “irresponsible”.
“What Lower Austria certainly does not support are events in which conspiracy theories are spread,” Mikl-Leitner also countered on Friday. “In Lower Austria, every payout is thoroughly checked. And of course I expect that in this specific case too.”
