Sebastian Kurz: I don't regret my resignation - my new plans!

Sebastian Kurz: I don't regret my resignation - my new plans!

In the latest episode of the Podcast "Official secrets", Johannes Pressl speaks to Sebastian Kurz, the former Federal Chancellor of Austria. The topic of the conversation is his resignation from politics and his new life as a consultant, entrepreneur and investor. Briefly expresses that he did not regret his withdrawal from politics and had very enjoyed the time in the service of the population. After ten years in the government and a total of 15 years in politics, he strives for new experiences.

briefly now spend half of his time abroad and worked on a new company concept on the evening of his resignation. He has already founded companies in Abu Dhabi, Vienna and Israel because he finds getting to know different cultures enriching. Despite his global trips, he plans to preserve his base in Vienna and a second home in Lower Austria.

political perspectives

In the conversation, Kurz emphasizes that he sees communities as the "most relevant level of the state structure" for people's lives. He recognizes the hard work of committed mayors and municipal councils that have a direct impact on the life of the citizens. He also expresses that he sees opportunities in times of crisis and cannot understand pessimism, especially among young people.

directed to a broader European perspective, briefly formulates concerns about the competitiveness of Europe. He realizes that Europe is no longer the center of the world and sees aspiring states such as the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates. In this context, he appeals to European managers to "end uncontrolled immigration" in order to ensure security and prosperity. The Austrian Community Association, which has represented the interests of cities and municipalities in Austria since 1947, plays a central role here and comprises around 70 percent of the population.

integration and political participation

The topic of Migration and integration remains important in the current political discussion. Around 82.2 million people live in Germany, around 8.7 million of whom have no German citizenship. The political participation of migrants in particular is a central element of their integration. This is divided into informal and formal political participation, whereby the formal political participation in Germany is bound to German citizenship.

migrants without German citizenship are excluded from the local, state and state elections. This exclusion is often referred to as "democratic deficit" because it restricts the opportunities to participate in political processes. Discussions about the expansion of municipal voting rights to foreigners, especially third -fits, have been in progress for many years. While EU citizens can participate in local elections-a right that was anchored in 1992 in the Basic Law-third-country state remain excluded from this right to vote.

In several European countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, municipal voting rights are already established for foreigners, which still meets political resistance in Germany. The turnout of foreign councilors and integration advisory boards is less than 20%in many communities, which shows that there is still a lot to do to strengthen the political participation of migrants.

Thus, the political landscape in Europe remains complex not only through internal discussions about integration and immigration, but also through the challenges that arise from the political exclusion of migrants. Sebastian Kurz ’Experiences and views offer interesting food for thought in this complex topic.