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Brandstätter, Helmut
editor-in-chief Kurier
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4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Pressure over ratings helps euro countries
The rating agency Standard & Poors threatened on Monday to downgrade the standing of the six euro countries top credit ratings, including Germany and Austria. In Austria the announcement has revived the debate about the introduction of a debt brake, a proposal which the opposition parties the FPÖ and the BZÖ have so far rejected. The pressure from the rating agencies is justified, writes the daily Kurier: "This makes measures to ensure budgetary discipline in the Eurozone all the more urgent. This may mean curbing the sovereignty of all the states, but it doesn't have to. Imposing budgetary discipline already makes sense and will benefit the citizens, particularly the younger generations, because the vast majority of state expenditure is already earmarked for wages and salaries, for pensions and paying back our debts. ... The leeway for future measures for example in the area of education is minimal. The so-called discretionary spending has gone down from 32 percent to 23 percent in the last four years. So we should actually thank the rating agencies. And the opposition should rethink its stance on the debt brake."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Financial Markets, » Austria, » Europe
Putting banks in their place
After causing the euro crisis the international banks and rating agencies must be kept on a tight rein, writes the left-liberal daily Kurier: "For days now there has been massive speculation against Italy without the economic data having taken a turn for the worse. So the finance ministers meet up - to do what? They speculate about whether letting Greece go bust wouldn't be an option after all. Meanwhile some trading centres have already forbidden so-called forward sales for certain shares. So it can be done. The financial industry must also abide by the politicians' rules. But the Commission and the EU governments must finally give clear instructions. The citizens need to experience Europe as a governing power that can stop speculators. The will is finally there: now we want to see results."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Italy, » Greece, » Europe
Helmut Brandstätter on identity, integration and patriotism
In order to have a sensible debate on integration one must properly define the goal of that integration, in other words those things that can promote identity, writes Helmut Brandstätter in the daily Kurier and proposes a contemporary form of patriotism: "What do we identify with today? With the EU - hardly. ... But who is Austrian? The answer must be everyone who feels at home here, who wants to settle here, accept Austria's laws and traditions and is prepared to do something for the common good, for Austria. But patriotism as a positive feeling of 'we-ness' can only emerge from a project for the future. And that project can have only one goal: how do we promote achievements in sciences, research, the economy, culture and sport and present them internationally in such a way that Austria remains attractive for people who believe they can fully realise their potential here, that they can achieve more here than elsewhere? This would be a contemporary patriotism, an awareness of Austrianness that offers good prospects for the future."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Weltanschauung, » Austria
Europe loses out to Asia
Forty-six Asian and European states met in Brussels this week for the eighth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). The daily Kurier sees the summit as a sad event for Europe: "A Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese person would double up laughing if he followed our European discussions. We talk of higher pensions, shorter working hours and universities fighting to hold their international ranking. In the most Asian countries by contrast the talk is about higher growth, new production methods and foreign investment. ... But we won't let our quaint parlour games be disturbed. If you want to attend a competitive university you can go study in Mumbai; it's not all that expensive. And there are plenty of jobs in Shanghai, after all they work around the clock. Competition - that is the key catchword. We don't have much time to figure out where we can keep up internationally. Those times are over as far as wages are concerned, and as far as universities go they won't last long. But perhaps we still have an edge in making chocolates."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Asia, » Europe
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