Criticism of the Federal President: What follows after the election defeat?

Criticism of the Federal President: What follows after the election defeat?

The chaos days of Austrian politics continue! After the latest National Council election, which meant a bitter defeat for the ÖVP, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen focuses on devastating criticism. In an emotional explanation, the Styrian ÖVP boss and former governor Hermann Drexler left no doubt that he wants to give the head of state massive complicity in his failure to form a government coalition. Other prominent politicians, including the outgoing EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, also demand that van der Bellen should have given the election winner the government's mandate, as the Krone reported.

politics in upheaval

The continuing dissatisfaction among the population becomes clear in current surveys: two thirds of the Austrian citizens are skeptical whether the Federal President acted correctly in this key role. According to the opinion researchers, the time for a fundamental reform of the political system could have come. The Federal President has had far -reaching powers since the amendment to the constitution of 1929, but they are repeatedly criticized. The members of the opposition parties now vehemently demand that the head of government should be elected by Parliament in the future in order to limit the influence of the president. This could pave the way for more stable and democratic government formation.

The discourse on the reform of parliamentary democracy is a hot topic in many countries, even in Germany. Here, too, trust in the political institutions is of great challenges, so the BPB . While general doubts about the functioning of democracy are growing, a differentiated analysis shows that the willingness of citizens to support democratic principles is still strong. The decisive factor is the concrete results of the political actors and institutions that have a direct impact on the trust of the citizens.

In this area of tension, it becomes clearer than ever that the struggle for survival of the representative democracy must withstand not only in Austria, but also in other parts of Europe. The balance between government and parliament must be evaluated to ensure that the voice of the people remains anchored in the political decision -making process and that the citizens are taken seriously in their dissatisfaction.