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Vienna. Heinz-Christian Strache has experienced something unpleasant: he accidentally sent an SMS on the next reform of banking supervision not only to his confidants, but also to the enemy country, that is to say to a member of the SPÖ . The joy was great in the happy, because the short message of the Vice Chancellor could not have been more revealing.
The first harmless: the text of Strache shows that he is resolutely against the transfer of banking supervision of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank to the Financial Market Authority. However, it is exactly what the Minister of Finance, Hartwig Löger, had planned ("Die Presse" reported on September 25).
In principle, the FPÖ also knows that it is high time to reform banking supervision. Finally, a report by the Court of Auditors in 2017 clearly showed that the current structure is not only inefficient, but extremely costly. But to improve the content of the status quo, Strache should not go to the project. Instead, he fears that the planned reorganization of Löger entails a saving of posts (and costs) at the National Bank: The Minister of Finance had the intention of "undermining the call ÖNB's current aim to appoint four directors since the 3. 3. 11. reverse our power to weaken, "Strache knows by SMS. However, reading an interview with Löger, published ten days ago at Bloomberg, probably upset the vice-chancellor. The Minister of Finance "stressed in this interview, wrote Strache," that he wished in this case to reduce the board of the ÖNB (eg from 4 to 3) !!! Then we are on the defensive, "he concludes," How should we discuss a 4th director, if he has no more work? ", Strache asks with some permission. A solution at hand If, despite resistance, the level of management of the National Bank increases from four to three people, "the second director must also be ours," said Strache.
Loss of face not only for the FPÖ
The way in which the problem will be solved should manifest itself in the coming days. Negotiations between the ÖVP and the FPÖ are in full swing. But they are, as at least since the Strache fixed SMS in black and white, apparently not supported by factual considerations. They follow the basic political rule that it is not a matter of finding solutions that are good in terms of content, but high enough points for party friends.
While the opposition rejoices at the Strache mistake, the coalition partner is anything but enthusiastic. Ending the discussions will not be easier now. In these conditions, the chances of losing face are much greater than before, even for the OVP. Whatever the result presented, everyone will mail it under the title "Postenschacher".
However, Löger would not have thought a few months ago that the reform of surveillance in the autumn would still not be resolved. The talks between his people and Secretary of State Hubert Fuchs (FPÖ) were already under way. After all, the ÖVP had conceded to the FPÖ that in the future it would be the governor with Robert Holzmann. He will follow Ewald Nowotny, whose contract ends in 2019. But suddenly, some of the Blues have discovered that just now, when they finally have something to say to the central bank, they should be deprived of Calendars as important as banking supervision. And now, Löcker's plan to reduce the current four-member council to three is incompatible with the party's self-esteem and its political strategy of power. If there are only three, Holzmann could be ruled out of the decisions of the two members of the ÖVP. The FPÖ wants to prevent this.
By the way: none of the directors has been named yet. The application deadline for the four places ends on December 5th.
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