Austria’s congratulations to Roberta Metsola on her nomination as a candidate for the EU parliamentary presidency tweeted in the usual tradition on Thursday evening ÖVP boss Sebastian Kurz and sounded exactly like he once did in his days as Chancellor: “Congratulations Roberta Matsola on being elected as an EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament. I look forward to a good and productive cooperation. “
Words that one would rather expect from a chancellor or a foreign minister – in any case, chosen to carry the state. And probably not without ulterior motives: Because Metsola’s internal competitor was the previous EP Vice President, Othmar Karas (ÖVP). He has repeatedly appeared publicly as a critic of Kurz in the past and probably made hope for the top job after his resignation. But again in vain. As reported, he was defeated in the parliamentary group vote.
