The government retreat in Mauerbach began with contributions from experts in business, energy and security.
The government is meeting this week for a retreat in Mauerbach, where it will discuss the year’s most important issues with experts. Inflation, energy, security – there were presentations from all areas. Economic development, energy security and the geopolitical situation were discussed together with the chairman of the supervisory board, Christoph Badelt, the head of the Austrian energy company, Michael Strugl, and the general secretary of BMLV, Arnold Kammel.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer emphasized at the beginning of the retreat: “Austria was marked by great concerns about energy supply last year. are suffering the consequences of dampened inflation and were able to achieve better-than-expected economic growth. Now we can use that solid foundation to face future challenges.”
Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler: “Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we have once again felt the close interdependence between energy supply, economy and security. : The cisterns are full and much has been done to cushion the effects of inflation – namely by curbing electricity, enhancing family and social benefits and abolishing the cold progression. for the necessary energy transition: This will significantly strengthen Austria’s independence, security and sustainability. Expert assessments are the basis for this and I am very grateful for your contributions today.”
Inflation is going down
Christoph Badelt, former head of WIFO and chairman of the Supervisory Board, predicts a slight deceleration in inflation for 2023. The job market has barely deteriorated. “I welcome the fact that the government is also consulting experts and that we are always invited for consultations from time to time. Labor shortage is a big challenge for policy in general and has a chilling effect on growth. So it will be a question of how in the future you can better use the potential of the unused workforce in Austria, for example through incentives to work even after the retirement age, but also through measures to promote health” , says the expert in economics.
In his speech on the expansion of renewable energy sources, Badelt also highlights that the government has done a lot to face the transformation. “This is particularly important because Austrian industry is more energy intensive than other countries due to the composition of sectors,” says Badelt.
energy and war
Michael Strugl, head of the Austrian electricity industry, gave an insight into possible energy supply scenarios for 2023: “The energy industry also welcomes the exchange with the government, which was particularly important in the crisis year 2022 , in order to create security of energy supply . This was the only way for us to give the green light for winter. The basis for ensuring winter is full storage. In addition to expanding renewable energy generation, the most important priorities now are the expansion of grid infrastructure and renewable electricity storage capacities. In this way, we can become more resilient against external dependencies and external price shocks”, says the energy expert.
In discussions with the federal government, Strugl welcomes plans and laws for accelerated expansion of renewable energies. “Ambitious targets have been set and this is what we urgently need to prepare for the future,” says Strugl.
Arnold Kammel, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, gave government officials an overview of the geopolitical situation: “The security situation for Austria and Europe has changed enormously since the start of the war in Ukraine. The worsening geopolitical situation makes crisis management is increasingly important. Economic conflicts and changes in trade routes have long-term strategic effects. For us, this means, on the one hand, that we have to reduce dependencies less and, on the other hand, that strategic partnerships are becoming increasingly important,” says Kammel.
Leo Time Navigation Account10.01.2023, 17:51| Act: 01/10/2023, 6:08 pm