The conservative politician was on Wednesday in Kleinwalsertal (Vorarlberg) without a mouth guard. In addition, the safety distance of one meter was often not maintained. Pictures of the visit circulated on Thursday on the Internet, including from the “Vorarlberger Nachrichten”. You can see how visitors and politicians are close together without a mask.
Kleinwalsertal celebrates Austria’s chancellor @sebastiankurz – despite weeks of de facto quarantine in the valley. Kurz wants to prevent new border closures by reacting quickly and regionally to new Corona stoves. Briefly warns of distance. Works less here. @ BR24 @daily News pic.twitter.com/ltJtoTND0M
– AndreasHerz (@AndrsHrz) May 13, 2020
When asked about the situation at a later date, Kurz said he was surprised by the number of media representatives and the general public. He asked several times to keep the safety distances. But that didn’t always work. «It is important that we all make an effort. Nobody deliberately does anything wrong, »said the head of government.
Government defends itself: “Unfamiliar and difficult situation”
A member of the liberal party Neos announced that he would file a complaint. “I assume that the regulation in the Kleinwalsertal applies as well as in Vienna,” said Sepp Schellhorn to the TV broadcaster OE24. In Vienna, people would be severely punished for minor offenses against the Corona measures. The Chancellor travels to Vorarlberg without protective measures.
A spokesman for the chancellor’s team wrote on Twitter that the circumstances of the visit had been “an unfamiliar and difficult situation for everyone involved”. In addition, the community had previously pointed out notes on compliance with the distance and precautionary rules, said a short spokesman. On Thursday evening, Kurz clearly wore a mask during an appointment in the Corona-Screeningstrasse in the Innsbruck Olympiahalle, which he did not remove even for a short acceptance speech to the Red Cross helpers.
The anger is discharged on Twitter
Twitter users compared the pictures with a video by Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), who had divided the population into “lifesaver” and “life threatening” with a view to the distance rule. The editor-in-chief of the “Falter” magazine, Florian Klenk, wrote: “In Vienna you punish people who do a pull-up alone in the park, the hosts are closed, we wear masks and stay in the home office. And then such a crush for short? »
“There’s a small group that still don’t understand, who’s not a lifesaver, but a life threatening by gathering at corona parties, by not keeping the safe distance, by not following orders.” #Kleinwalsertal https://t.co/o5zCdyk5ZT
– Peter Berry (@ PeterBerry91) May 14, 2020
The Chancellor’s Office replied to the criticism, although efforts had been made, residents and media representatives had “in part unfortunately not kept the minimum distance”. Shortly on the street asked several times to observe the distance rules, said a spokesman after a report from the APA news agency.
In terms of traffic, the Kleinwalsertal can only be reached via Germany. The residents lived in isolation there during the lockdown.
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