TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: “Govern, react”, by Marco Witting

2023-10-25 20:00:37

Issue from Thursday, October 26, 2023

Innsbruck (OTS) – Little argument, little renewal, lots of crisis management. The state government’s annual balance sheet is sobering.

Stability in the crisis, renewal for Tyrol. The state government adopted this motto as its own slogan a year ago. Twelve months later, the initial assessment is quite sobering. Above all, there was often crisis and little renewal. Governing has all too often involved reacting.

This wasn’t always just the fault of the state government – when it came to rising prices, it was also external circumstances that limited the scope for action. The ÖVP-SPÖ coalition has also tried a lot here. But the success was only selective at best. There were legacy issues and problems that had been unresolved for too long (GemNova, Matrei finances) that took the focus away from the necessary innovations. And sometimes the reaction was late, for example with the Tiwag electricity price and the energy supplier’s wild communication. The state governor could have scored points there. He didn’t succeed. Anton Mattle is clearly still finding his way, corners and edges.

What the coalition has achieved is that there are no arguments, at least not on an open stage. Voters appreciate that. This is also because the red frontman Georg Dornauer is usually quick to announce and pose for photos and is less quick to implement things. Some other members of the government (not just the very hard-working VP Security Councilor Astrid Mair and SP Social Affairs Councilor Eva Pawlata) have not yet found their way into their new roles. The big hit is missing. There was only the big announcement. The legal right to child care. The coalition will not only have to be measured by its implementation.