Uproar on the net

“War against the USSR” – Haider hoppala in talk show

Alfons Haider at a rally for the release of the Israeli hostages on Saturday.(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Entertainer Alfons Haider has commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky and the war in Ukraine in a talk show. His choice of words caused a stir, a slip of the tongue made him smile. 

"We have a TV presenter, entertainer and cabaret artist who is now waging war against the USSR, er, Russia," said Haider in the program "Wild Umstritten" on Puls 24, which was broadcast on 27 March.

Days later, these comments are still causing a stir on the social media platform X. Apart from the hoppala with the long-defunct USSR - the Soviet Union that finally dissolved in 1991 - many people are offended by the formulation that Volodymyr Zelensky, now president and formerly a TV presenter, is waging war against Russia. 

Ukrainian ambassador intervenes
Numerous users on X pointed out that Putin had invaded Ukraine and that the country was defending itself against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian ambassador to Austria, Vasyl Khymynets, was also outraged. "Mr. Alfons Haider, come to Ukraine and see what a brutal war and barbaric terror Russia is waging," he wrote (see below).

Like many others, he shared the clip with Haider's comments. However, the 20-second clip lacks context. The passage in question on the Puls 24 talk show was about Dominik Wlazny, aka Marco Pogo, who went into politics as a musician and cabaret artist. Alfons Haider listed famous career changers who switched from entertainment to politics.

Alfons Haider at a rally for the release of the Israeli Hamas hostages on Sunday.(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

For example, Ronald Reagan, who as an actor became "a very bad" US president, or Beppe Grillo, founder of the Five Star Movement, "a clown in Rome who knocked everything against the wall", said Haider.

Respect for Selenskyj
In this context, Alfons Haider's comments can be interpreted more as a compliment for Volodymyr Selensky. He also paid him respect for the fact that he was able to become president "without a team at the beginning". After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Selensky was shown respect for how statesmanlike he behaved as a former actor and clown.