Vienna, Sept. 26, (dpa/GNA) – Austria’s chancellor Karl Nehammer has launched an upbeat public relations campaign aimed at boosting public confidence in the coalition government, a year ahead of elections and after criticism of his party.
Nehammer, who heads the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), presented a campaign called “Believe in Austria.”
It acknowledges the sufferings of the public due to the pandemic, the Russian war on Ukraine and inflation, Nehammer said.
“At the same time, we have seen that the people of Austria are much stronger than many gave us credit for and we gave ourselves credit for,” he said.
Nehammer did not present any new projects, but named anti-inflation measures, renewable energy subsidies and curbs on irregular migration as among the achievements of the government, a coalition of the conservatives and greens.
The campaign comes a year before Austrians are due to vote in parliamentary elections.
In terms of popularity, the ÖVP is in second place behind the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) with an approval rating of about 24%, according to polling earlier this month.
Some 30% of the public back the Austrian Freedom Party at present.
Nehammer’s campaign comes after he and his party set out proposals to set out the right to use cash in the constitution, after opposition parties expressed concerns about digital currencies. The party also proposed measures to impose tougher penalties on people denying climate change.
Other parties criticized these ideas.
GNA