Austria's opposition says mandatory Covid jabs 'not achievable'
Austria's opposition SPÖ has seemingly sounded the death knell for mandatory vaccinations in Austria in any form, saying it was "not achievable now or in the future".
The leader of Austria’s opposition SPÖ party, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, has ruled out supporting compulsory vaccination against Covid in the future, although the SPÖ supported the measure by the federal government last year.
The former doctor told the ORF press hour that while in theory, she still supported mandatory vaccination, she no longer believed it was "achievable now or in the future" because the federal government lost the trust of the people that it was still necessary to implement the measure.
She did not support compulsory vaccination for over 60s either, and said it would reassure younger people there was no need for them to get vaccinated.
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner also called on the government to set VAT on food to zero in view of the skyrocketing prices. The EU had made this possible with a new directive, and the government should implement this proposal, she said.
The SPÖ is calling for new elections. Rendi-Wagner said the party did not rule out a coalition with Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ÖVP party - previously the SPÖ did not want to form a coalition with the ÖVP party while Sebastian Kurz was in charge.
READ MORE: How Austria's attempt to make vaccines mandatory changed the country
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The leader of Austria’s opposition SPÖ party, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, has ruled out supporting compulsory vaccination against Covid in the future, although the SPÖ supported the measure by the federal government last year.
The former doctor told the ORF press hour that while in theory, she still supported mandatory vaccination, she no longer believed it was "achievable now or in the future" because the federal government lost the trust of the people that it was still necessary to implement the measure.
She did not support compulsory vaccination for over 60s either, and said it would reassure younger people there was no need for them to get vaccinated.
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner also called on the government to set VAT on food to zero in view of the skyrocketing prices. The EU had made this possible with a new directive, and the government should implement this proposal, she said.
The SPÖ is calling for new elections. Rendi-Wagner said the party did not rule out a coalition with Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ÖVP party - previously the SPÖ did not want to form a coalition with the ÖVP party while Sebastian Kurz was in charge.
READ MORE: How Austria's attempt to make vaccines mandatory changed the country
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