"Krone" commentary

Why Austria voluntarily leaves millions lying around

Klaudia Tanner from Lower Austria has incurred the displeasure of the business community by not engaging in countertrade. She could have won big contracts.(Bild: BMLV)

The word makes politicians in Austria break out in a cold sweat: countertrade. At least Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner does. There is no other way to understand why Austria's government is mutating into an industrial policy laughing stock in Europe.

After all, our country is probably the only one at EU level to waive the statutory option of having a technology share contractually guaranteed for Austria as a business location in the largest military procurement processes, i.e. purchases, for decades. In other words, the countertrade. Why?