The big interview
Nehammer: “Kickl’s reaction affected me”
He was Chancellor of the Republic for 1132 days, then the FPÖ won the election. After unsuccessful negotiations for a government without Kickl, Karl Nehammer resigned in January. In his first interview as former chancellor, he talks about turbulent times, regained freedoms and his new book.
In Vienna's oldest reinforced concrete building, the former listed stands of the Krieau harness racing track, the "Red Bull Mediahaus" now resides after 60 years of vacancy. A meeting room with a terrace has been reserved on the fourth floor, and a freshly printed book entitled "Sich selbst treu bleiben" (EcoWing Verlag) lies on the round glass table. The author is former Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who is sitting next door in the make-up room - in addition to the "Krone" Sunday interview, two television appearances are scheduled for this Friday afternoon. "I like this combination of wood and glass," he says later during our interview, "this is also where my book was written." He has five major "Krone" interviews ahead of him, all about corona, fences, "rotes Gsindl" and his visit to Vladimir Putin.
"Krone": As we sit here, a 17-year-old is on trial for threatening to kill you. Does that still concern you or is it a thing of the past?
Karl Nehammer: It wasn't that long ago, it was only last year in the middle of the pre-election campaign. In that respect, it still gets to me. And it shows what heated times we live in. Both as Minister of the Interior and later as Federal Chancellor, I fought very resolutely against the Islamist scene because radical political ideologies are a threat to our democracy.
265 days ago, on Tuesday, January 21, you resigned from all your political offices. How do you feel compared to before?
It's very different. Many new impressions. Also my new job at the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, a 180-degree turnaround. In my new life, I have more time for my family, more time to think. Simply much more freedom, for all of us together. The decision-making horizons are broader than back then, when it was mainly about crisis management.
How difficult was it to leave?
First of all, the decision was not that easy. Being responsible for nine million people is something very special. And it was always a great honor for me to serve the Republic. But what was just as important to me was that I kept my word. I said before the election that I would not form a government with radicals and I kept my word after the election. I also wanted to pass this on to my children, as they are always the seismographs of their parents. My wife and children have been great. It is a blessing and a privilege to have such a family.
Can you ever give that back?
That's a good question. You'll have to ask my children and my wife. I'm definitely making an effort.
Do you miss politics?
I've always been a political person and I still am. What I do miss is my really dedicated team. I had female colleagues, some of whom were at my side for 16 years or more. We experienced such intense, challenging times. Working together on serious problems, solving them and then sharing the feeling with each other was something very beautiful.
It was important to me that I kept my word. I also wanted to pass that on to my children. They were great. It's a blessing and a privilege to have a family like that.
Karl Nehammer über seinen Rücktritt
Don't you sometimes long for the limelight?
No, not at all. For the presentation of my book, it's part of it again. Apart from that, it's a very pleasant feeling for me to be out of the limelight.
What don't you miss at all?
The excitement with which discussions are conducted. The spitefulness that always comes to light, be it on social media or in political discourse. My approach has always been: you can be tough on issues, but still always respect each other.
You used these 265 days to write a book. Why was that important to you?
I wanted to tell how I myself felt during my time as chancellor, to provide insights behind the scenes of politics, but also to take a look at the future. The book is also an invitation to the political center.
Who received the first copy and what was the dedication?
There were three copies. For my wife and my children. They were very personal dedications, not intended for the public.
"Stay true to yourself" is written on the book cover. An allusion to the fact that you didn't want to form a coalition with Kickl despite losing the election?
I promised that, but if you think back, nobody believed me. I found it astonishing how little a politician's word counts. A shortcoming of our time. I often reflected on this with my team. "Staying true to yourself" was our working title right from the start. But then no one came up with a better one. - Laughs.
Who can you think of who doesn't stay true to themselves? Kickl, for example, would say the same about himself.
My privilege is that it's no longer about others. It's a book about my political work and my principles.
The bitter second place in the National Council elections in September 2024. Shouldn't you have drawn conclusions back then?
At the time, around 1.3 million people voted for the People's Party and around 1.4 million for the FPÖ. So despite the adverse circumstances, many people also put their trust in the People's Party and therefore in me. Of course we had heavy losses compared to the last elections, and I have never played that down. I became Federal Chancellor in a lockdown, we all wore masks. Today it seems like a thing of the past, but back then it was very real. No sooner had we overcome the virus than the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine broke out. Rising energy prices, inflation. So it was a race to catch up, in which we came quite close to our opponent.
Now the coalition that you always wanted and negotiated for a very long time is in power. So you could have remained chancellor?
Yes, but that would be like reading a book from back to front. Of course you can, but it doesn't do justice to reality. I believe that sometimes in life it takes one step to make another possible.
Which one in your case?
My resignation led to Herbert Kickl not taking his chance to become chancellor. And then the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS got together again. One would not have been possible without the other.
My resignation meant that Herbert Kickl did not take his chance to become chancellor.
Für den Ex-Kanzler war sein Schritt nicht sinnlos
You write something very interesting about Herbert Kickl in your book: namely about the moment when you informed all the club leaders of the start of the war ...
His reaction was fundamentally different from all the other phone calls on that day. Herbert Kickl expressed doubts that the Russians were actually attacking Ukraine. He asked me how I even knew that. There was a cynical undertone, even though I told him my sources. The Army Intelligence Office, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, the EU authorities. That really affected me. An outrageous breach of taboo was taking place not even 500 kilometers from our borders, and the FPÖ leader is not being swayed by the facts, but is persisting in his own world view.
You met Putin during your time as head of government. In retrospect, was this useless visit a mistake?
I think it's always better to do something than to do nothing. It was also important for me to confront Putin personally with the suffering that I saw for myself at the mass graves in Butsha.
How did Putin react?
There was no reaction from him when it came to the fallen soldiers. His facial expression only changed when the sanctions against Russia were brought up. It wasn't a friendly conversation. But an important one.
How much distance did you keep?
Putin sat opposite me at this very long table, it felt like six to eight meters. It was in the middle of the pandemic.
Corona is a good keyword. In retrospect, was compulsory vaccination a mistake?
What was definitely a mistake was not being able to explain in enough detail why it came to this point in the first place. The starting point for all the considerations was the overcrowding in intensive care units. At the time, we had two federal states, Salzburg and Upper Austria, which were already at their limit. The other federal states were just about managing with their capacities. And that's how this lockdown came about, during which I also became Federal Chancellor. Of course, knowing what we know today, you wouldn't do it anymore.
So it was a mistake?
It was a mistake to say: "There will be no compulsory vaccination" and then introduce compulsory vaccination. That was massively polarizing. On the other hand, vaccination never became compulsory.
It was a mistake to say: "There will be no compulsory vaccination" and then introduce compulsory vaccination.
Mit dem Wissen von heute sehe vieles anders aus, sagt Nehammer.
If you google your name, two phrases come up that have fallen on your head. One is, "If we go on like this, there are only two choices for you: Alcohol or psychiatric drugs." The second: "Do you know what the cheapest meal in Austria is? A hamburger at McDonalds!"Are you annoyed that you let that slip out?
I'm really sorry if I've offended people. I should have been more disciplined in my linguistic precision. In the first sentence, I wanted to say that we need to stop seeing only the negative. The burger was a bad example because there are much cheaper hot meals, but the content was right, namely that parents are responsible for the well-being of their children.
In the 2024 summer talk, you spoke of public finances as a "big cake"; today we have an 18 billion euro budget deficit. Do you feel partly to blame for the fact that one austerity package after another now has to be adopted?
Here, too, you have to keep the big picture in mind. During the pandemic, we spent over 40 billion euros to stabilize the economy, which was very successful at the time. Then came the Russia-Ukraine war, then came energy costs, inflation; and from 2023 to 2024, contrary to the forecasts of economic researchers, no economic growth, but quite the opposite, even a recession. But budgets are drawn up on this basis. As Federal Chancellor, I naturally bear responsibility - as do the Minister of Economics and Finance - but the money that has been spent has not been speculated away somewhere. It has gone to the people. To entrepreneurs, employees, pensioners, families. It has been invested. That's why, in the discussion we're having today, we must always consider the circumstances that led to all this.
After the criminal investigations against Sebastian Kurz, you became chancellor somewhat by chance, in any case unexpectedly ...
That's right. Definitely unplanned! - Laughs.
Was that fate?
I wouldn't know what else to call it. It is and was very honorable for me that Sebastian asked me back then whether I would like to take on this task in these very challenging times.
Do you think a comeback by Sebastian Kurz is conceivable at some point?
You asked me beforehand what I don't miss. I don't miss all the speculative questions at all - laughs. - Nevertheless, I'll answer your question: I believe that everything in life is always possible as long as you allow the possibility.
Would the ÖVP allow it?
What would speak against or in favor of it? These are questions that Sebastian Kurz must answer first and foremost.
You are now Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Why do you think you can do this? After all, your predecessor Willi Molterer was Minister of Finance.
And before that, he was also Minister of Agriculture for a very long time. First of all, there is a committee that decides whether a candidate is suitable or not. There is an interesting difference between the discussion in Austria and in the European Union or the EIB. In Luxembourg, the task and responsibility of a prime minister in times of crisis is seen as a very good qualification. There, they were very pleased about the life experience that I bring to the bank. As an investment bank, it implements projects within and outside the EU.
233 billion in capital, with five billion coming from Austria alone.
The balance sheet total is significantly higher, at just under 600 billion. The EIB is larger than the World Bank.
Your contact in Austria is Finance Minister Marterbauer. Your impression in one sentence?
It is very difficult to describe a person in one sentence, but: Marterbauer has an impressive ability to assess the situation and derive measures from it.
Mr. Nehammer, the groundbreaking deal in Gaza was agreed on Thursday. As chancellor, you witnessed the liberation of hostage Tal Shoham. Would you ever have thought it possible that there would be a ceasefire in October 2025?
I would like to go back to October 7. I never thought October 7 could be possible. The massacre of Israelis was devastating in every way. Children, women, old people, young people were murdered, raped, violated. Many were abducted. At Tal Shoham, we were not just observers, but actually active participants in a process, together with many others: Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Daniel Kapp, many allies worldwide, from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, India, Brazil, Oman, Turkey. Everyone helped to get the Austrian-Israeli hostage out. It really was a miracle that he was freed from Hamas control after more than 500 days in captivity.
Geboren am 18. Oktober 1972 in Wien. Ab 2016 Generalsekretär des ÖAAB, ab 2017 Nationalratsabgeordneter und Bezirksparteiobmann der ÖVP Wien-Hietzing, ab 2018 ÖVP-Generalsekretär. Im Jänner 2020 wird er Innenminister, von Dezember 2021 bis Jänner 2025 Bundeskanzler.
Der passionierte Boxer ist Oberleutnant beim Bundesheer und war auch Trainer für strategische Kommunikation. Seit 1. September ist er Vizepräsident der Europäischen Investitionsbank (EIB) in Luxemburg.
Verheiratet mit Kathi Nehammer, der Tochter von Peter Nidetzky („Aktenzeichen XY“), ein Sohn (16) und eine Tochter (14 Jahre alt).
Was that the highlight of your time in office?
In human terms, it was certainly the most touching. In a positive sense. There were also many touching, difficult moments. For example, meeting the relatives of a victim who was murdered by terrorists in the terrorist attack in November 2020. Tal and his family came to our home and my wife cooked schnitzel because that's what he wanted. That was a very nice moment. A moment that was good for the soul.
Would Trump have deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for this?
I think that anyone who campaigns for peace and also plays a constructive role in ending wars would be a worthy candidate for this prize. But the committee in Oslo has already made its decision and chosen a very deserving winner.
This week, your friend August Wöginger was also on trial for post shenanigans. Do you think the diversion was okay?
That was a procedure conducted by the independent judiciary. I think that should be respected and I'm very happy for Gust Wöginger that it turned out this way for him.
And then there was the "Waltraud case". A red-light king who had himself declared a woman. Would you address him in the same way?
I don't know this person's DNA, but gender is normally clearly identifiable. I think it is necessary and right to differentiate between women and men in a society with equal rights, including in the way we address each other.
Legally, however, there are six genders.
I have a very clear opinion on this, which I also expressed as Federal Chancellor. There will probably be another uproar when people read about it in your newspaper. Nevertheless, biologically speaking, there are exactly two genders, man and woman. And that has to be accepted. Everything else is a social phenomenon. I don't think much of it.
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