The latest bone of contention

Budget in the home stretch, but where is Schellhorn?

Sepp Schellhorn keeps stepping out of line—most recently with uncoordinated media appearances.(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

Following the NEOS’s media appearances, tensions ran high between the coalition parties in the final stages of the budget talks. A breakthrough was eventually reached —but one person was missing from the negotiating table...

The talks surrounding Austria’s next two-year budget were a back-and-forth affair. Such negotiations are inherently difficult—especially in times of austerity and with three parties at the table. It doesn’t help when individual government members upset coalition partners with uncoordinated media appearances.

Someone should have told State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn (Neos) that beforehand. Because a “poor underlying atmosphere” prevailed during what was supposed to be the final round of negotiations on Sunday, an agreement was delayed. Schellhorn was no longer involved on either day. Sources close to the negotiations say his absence in the final phase was due to his “missteps.”

Schellhorn Represents the Foreign Minister
Naturally, Schellhorn’s press secretary did not confirm this when asked by “Krone.” According to him, State Secretary Schellhorn is “currently representing Austria at the EU-ASEAN Summit in Brunei (Asia). He is officially representing the Foreign Minister there.” The trip had reportedly been in the works for months. He also has a different perspective on Schellhorn’s role: “As a member of the ‘triumvirate’ alongside Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer and State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, he has been intensively involved in the budget negotiations for weeks. Currently, the negotiations are converging at the level of party leaders.”

The EU-ASEAN Summit is of great importance to Austria: “The ASEAN region is one of the most dynamic growth areas worldwide, with rapidly increasing economic and strategic relevance. Especially for an export-oriented country like Austria, it is crucial to maintain an active presence there and expand partnerships,” he concludes.