Complains of "populism"

WKO boss Mahrer now announces his resignation

Harald Mahrer steps down and complains of "personal resentment" in his statement.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

The pressure was too much, now Chamber of Commerce President Harald Mahrer is taking the consequences. In the late afternoon, he announced his resignation in a personal video (see below). He will hand over to his Vice President Martha Schultz on an interim basis.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Harald Mahrer, has recently come under increasing pressure. Several provincial presidents and two powerful black provincial governors urged him to resign. Now Mahrer has broken his silence and resigned. In a video, the ÖVP politician bids farewell after seven years at the head of the Chamber of Commerce.

"Populism and personal resentment"
"I will be stepping down from my role in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the Austrian Economic Association and I will ensure an orderly transition in both positions." Given the current mood, he sees "no possibility of making responsible contributions to positive future development". This is not his "playing field". At the same time, he deplores "populism and personal resentment".

Harald Mahrer steps down and complains of "personal resentment" in his statement.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker reacted shortly after the resignation: Mahrer had "made a personal decision in a very difficult situation, even for him", which should be respected. He thanked him for his services to the Republic as State Secretary, Federal Minister and President of the Chamber of Commerce.

Stocker now expects the Chamber of Commerce to "quickly reposition itself in these difficult economic times in the interests of the Austrian economy and the entire state in order to be able to work in the best possible way for the recovery."

Finance Minister: "Problematic for the social partnership"
Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ), who comes from the Chamber of Labor, was critical of the events shortly before Mahrer's resignation when he arrived at the Governors' Conference in Styria: "The weakness of the Chamber of Commerce is certainly problematic for the social partnership and bad for Austria." However, he does not see a permanent threat: "I think this is temporary."

The UNOS, the NEOS in the WKÖ, demanded a chamber reform and, like the FPÖ, a reversal of the pay increases for the members of the executive committee. The Green Economy once again pointed to the "anger of entrepreneurs about the bloated, expensive apparatus of the Chamber of Commerce".

The next course will be set on Friday
A meeting of the provincial presidents will also take place on Friday, at which the next course will be set. His Vice President Martha Schultz will take over immediately. However, the Tyrolean is likely to remain an interim solution. It is still unclear who will succeed Mahrer in the long term.