Schüssel, Kurz etc.

Nehammer: “We need politicians who take a stand”

Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Wednesday(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

The Federal Government commemorated the end of the Second World War in Europe in the Chancellery on Wednesday. Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) urged "never to forget" and to defend democracy. We need "courageous politicians who take a stand", said the Chancellor.

In this context, he mentioned his predecessors Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ), Wolfgang Schüssel and Sebastian Kurz (both ÖVP). Nehammer also referred to Israel's security partnership. In their speeches, both he and Kogler recalled the events of the Second World War and drew a link to the present day war in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The war in Ukraine had brought back "the injustice of warfare on European soil", said Nehammer. The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 was "terror". "The suffering of the Palestinians can end in the Gaza Strip the second Hamas surrenders."

From the left: Nehammer and Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community (IKG)(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

The speech by Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens)(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

"Terror continues to this day"
 "The terror continues to this day, while we are holding the ceremony here, hostages from Israel are still being held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas," said Kogler. But not every breach of international humanitarian law is permissible. The fate of Palestinian children should not be a matter of indifference either.

Both politicians emphasized the protection of democracy, and Kogler also took the social media to task in this context. Any form of violence, tyranny and intimidation must be prevented by political leaders, said Nehammer. "Democracy needs our protection, that is our task."