Minister, State Governor

“Baffling”: Minister Now Hits Back at Ruck’s Critics

Ruck’s party “friends” Thomas Stelzer (left) and Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (pictured at the Upper Austrian Ball with Minister Claudia Bauer) are pushing back against the Chamber president.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

As is well known, the “Stilts-Gate” scandal continues to spread: According to the secret transcript of a recorded conversation, Walter Ruck, the power-conscious president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, is said to have disparaged Upper Austria’s industry and even Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, referring to the latter as a “bureaucrat.” Now prominent political figures are firing back with strong words. 

It began with a stilt-walking incident at the Schweizerhaus, then angered the opposition, and could ultimately end in a shambles for the ÖVP. The transcripts of conversations obtained by the “Krone,” in which Vienna Chamber of Commerce President Walter Ruck is said to have described how he secured top positions in the city, are now dominating domestic politics. All the more so since new revelations and remarks by Ruck regarding ÖVP Economic Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer have come to light. 

“Hey, Hatti …”
“Hattmannsdorfer is the kind of guy who’s a clerk and an executive assistant. He walks in with 300 pages he’s crammed into his head and wants to recount all 300 pages to you in two minutes. And he was our secretary-general for a short while (at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, ed.), and then I told him: ‘Hey, Hatti, I’ve got a swarm of bees in my head—with all the stuff you’re going on about. Let’s get down to the essentials,” Ruck is reported to have said, according to the transcript. 

A spokesperson for Ruck stated on Monday that the alleged quotes were from a transcript of a recording that could not be verified and may have been made illegally—and that, incidentally, they greatly appreciate the work of the Minister of Economic Affairs.

Hattmannsdorfer’s cool retort
“I’m perfectly fine with the accusation that I work at a fast pace and am well-prepared in terms of content. Both are in line with my understanding of my role as a federal minister,” Hattmannsdorfer told the “Krone.” The minister continued: “I find the reported understanding of politics, as well as the view of women and entrepreneurs, far more disconcerting. Such an attitude must not be part of the self-image of a representative of public interests.”

These are the people like Sigi Menz (former Ottakringer board member, ed.) and all those degenerate Upper Austrians...

Ruck laut Protokoll

In addition, Ruck is also known to have used harsh words toward industry representatives. According to the minutes, the topic was Chamber levy 2: “These are the people like Sigi Menz (former Ottakringer board member, ed.) and all those degenerate Upper Austrians—they sat there spouting clever nonsense, fresh from a caviar breakfast,” somehow transitioning to “champagne brunch.”

“Speaks for itself”
Upper Austria’s Governor Thomas Stelzer isn’t willing to let his fellow Upper Austrians get away with this: “If all of this turns out to be true, such a choice of words must clearly be rejected. It speaks for itself,” the ÖVP politician lets his party “friend” Ruck know. “Here in Upper Austria, we prefer to focus on results rather than gaffes. Our leading position in exports, our innovative strength, and developments in the labor market speak for themselves. Nothing else requires comment.” Upper Austria’s industrial sector also spoke out clearly: “It’s embarrassing. It’s disrespectful and in poor taste,” said IV Managing Director Joachim Haindl-Grutsch. Only WKOÖ President Doris Hummer declined to comment when asked.

Regarding his remarks about Upper Austria, Ruck also had it conveyed that he could not confirm them. However, one participant in the discussion confirmed both the meeting and Ruck’s statements as recorded in the minutes. It seems as though the power-conscious Vienna Chamber boss has crossed the line more than once. Nevertheless, the industrial sector is up in arms.

In this context, that is—I would almost say—disrespectful.

Christoph Neumayer

Industrialists are also firing back sharply
“If the statements are accurate, I must say that, in particular, the remarks made to the business community—and we’re talking here about members of the Chamber of Commerce, about officials of the Chamber of Commerce—we found these statements to be quite astonishing, if not disconcerting. Especially because these are statements made to members of the Chamber of Commerce. And you know that industry provides a significant portion of the funding for the Chamber of Commerce, including the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. In this context, I would almost say this is disrespectful,” explained Christoph Neumayer, Secretary General of the Federation of Austrian Industries. 

When asked whether Ruck should resign, Neumayer said: “I think these are always decisions that a person must make for themselves. Of course, the governing bodies—and in this case that includes the Vienna Economic Association as well as the Vienna Chamber of Commerce—must also make these decisions. What I can say is that trust has, naturally, been deeply shaken. How this trust can be restored is questionable.”