“Despise Me”

Schellhorn Writes Letter to “Krone” Readers

Sepp Schellhorn is State Secretary for Deregulation and has already faced a great deal of criticism in this still-young legislative term.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Following fierce criticism and a scathing reader response in the “Krone,” NEOS State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn has now spoken out himself. In a personal letter, he defends his work, acknowledges difficulties, and promotes his reform agenda.

“Why is he still State Secretary?” read the headline in the “Krone”’s Saturday edition. Over 90 percent of readers do not think that NEOS State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn is doing a good job. Time and again, he comes under fire and causes a stir.

That was the headline in the “Krone”’s Saturday edition. 93 percent of our readers believe that Schellhorn is not doing a good job.(Bild: Kronen Zeitung)

In response to the “Krone” article, however, Sepp Schellhorn did not take up the sword in his own defense, but rather the pen, and wrote a personal letter to “Krone” readers.

Despise me. But don’t give up on Austria.
“Sepp, what are you actually doing?”
I’m often asked this question.
My answer: I’m carrying on.
I understand the impatience.
I’m incredibly impatient myself.
If over 90 percent of the readers of this newspaper want me to resign, that’s no small matter.
But I take just as seriously the fact that a few weeks ago, 95 percent of readers here said this government needs to do more to fight bureaucracy.
Perhaps there’s even a connection between the two polls.
Because apparently, the diagnosis is correct.
That’s why I’m writing to you directly today.
No more press statements.
Bypassing jurisdictional issues.
No more listening to all those who tell me why something won’t work.
Because there’s one thing I want to say quite openly:
Despise me.
Admire me.
Vote me out.
But don’t question the mission.
It’s too important.
Bureaucracy now costs Austrian companies around 20 billion euros a year.
The federal government alone has about 15,000 reporting and documentation requirements.
And if the very ability of our entire country to reform really does hinge on a single state secretary—who plans to retire after this legislative term anyway—then—pardon my language—good night, Austria.
Then the problem is even much bigger than we all thought.
19 out of 113 measures were implemented by the relevant ministries.
Not enough?
Yes!
So while the ministries are implementing what has been decided, my team and I have already submitted 150 additional measures, fully prepared and ready to go.
All ministries can draw on these measures as early as today.
And just this week, we jointly introduced further steps toward digitalization and simpler interactions with government agencies—a total of well over 100 concrete reform measures from our State Secretariat.
The “once-only” principle. Linking registries. More digitization. Fewer data disconnects. In short: Citizens should no longer have to act as data carriers between two government agencies.
And we’re continuing our work.
On simpler tax rules.
On simplifying payroll and income tax.
On fewer reporting requirements.
Faster procedures.
On standardizing construction and youth protection laws.
My team is the smallest and least expensive cabinet in this federal government.
But it works day and night.
Nearly 5,000 citizens have written to us.
With their suggestions on how we can make this country more efficient, faster, and simpler again.
And do you want to know something else?
The system screams when you try to change it.
Of course it howls!
People defend their perks.
Jurisdictions are defended.
Habits are defended.
It’s been that way with every reform.
Part of me is actually glad about it.
Because a system that never cries out will probably never change.
I no longer had anything to prove to myself.
I was an entrepreneur.
I didn’t run for office to win applause.
I stepped up to create opportunities for everyone.
I didn’t run to fulfill myself.
I took office to make a government with 15,000 reporting and documentation requirements a little more reasonable.
For the first time in the history of the Second Republic, there is someone at the government table—with his own state secretary position—whose explicit mandate is not to create new responsibilities, but to question existing ones. That alone is a paradigm shift.
Despise me. Fine.
Admire me.
Vote me out.
But apply pressure.
Apply pressure on me.
Apply pressure on the ministries.
Apply pressure on the states and municipalities. 
Because a government doesn’t change just because a single state secretary wants it to.
It changes when an entire country wants it to.
And that’s exactly why I’m keeping at it.
Convinced that resignation has never abolished a single form.
Because I’m not working on my own happiness.
But on your future.