"Krone" commentary

No alternative – not only Mahrer’s resignation

Commentary on the major issues affecting Austria: Klaus Herrmann, Managing Editor-in-Chief(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Imre Antal, stock.adobe.com)

At 5 pm on Thursday, what had been considered to be without alternative for days happened: Harald Mahrer announced his resignation from the Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Commerce. He could no longer be kept at the head of the chamber, too many mistakes had been made by the otherwise so eloquent communications professional in the last one and a half weeks.

Whereby the biggest mistake had already happened weeks before: nodding off a 4.2 percent salary increase for the employees of the Chamber of Commerce was the cardinal error. First defending this fat increase, then supposedly halving it - that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The pressure became too great - Harald Mahrer left.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

Fighting for survival for days
In his fight for survival as President of the Chamber of Commerce, Mahrer gained the "trust" of his top officials on Sunday. However, those who had just boosted their top salaries began to withdraw their trust in the days that followed. The ÖVP, of which Mahrer was also the (paid) chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund, also began to publicly withdraw confidence from its high-ranking functionary and former minister on Wednesday. Mahrer had long since become not only a burden for the Chamber of Commerce, but also a heavy burden for the already weakening ÖVP.

In his withdrawal video, Mahrer mentioned that personal resentment and populism had dominated the media debate in recent days, "without any added value for the economy", as he noted.

Without added value for the economy? It is fair to concede that Mahrer himself has brought some added value to the economy in recent years. But in the end, he and his top colleagues have used up this added value.

There is just as little alternative as the departure of the President
A completely new start will be necessary. Everything has already begun to be questioned: the high chamber levies, the chamber apparatus that many see as bloated, the WKO's billions in reserves. There is just as little alternative to discussing all of this and then reorganizing the chamber as there is to the departure of the president.