The news of the death of former Vice Chancellor and ÖVP leader Erhard Busek caused deep dismay throughout Austria on Monday. The unexpected death of the ex-politician and CEO of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe would have celebrated his 81st birthday on March 25th.
The first reactions to the death of Busek, who was known during his lifetime for not mincing his words and in this context did not shy away from criticizing his own party, testify to the great respect shown to the “great Austrians” was brought across any political color.
“With Erhard Busek, Austria loses one of its most influential political personalities,” said Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in a broadcast on Monday. Questions of environmental protection, urban renewal and Central Europe were important to Busek early on, according to the head of state, who also emphasized the “subtle irony, yes, even self-irony” of the former Vice Chancellor.
Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer commented on Busek’s death on Monday as follows: “With Erhard Busek, our country has lost a great Austrian and enthusiastic European,” said ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer, deeply affected by Busek’s death. The former ÖVP leader was valued across party lines and had “done a lot for our country and the People’s Party in a wide variety of functions and offices,” said Nehammer. National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) described him as a “politician with attitude, visionary and pioneer”.
Through Busek, the people’s party “gained in breadth, diversity and openness,” said Lower Austrian ÖVP chairwoman Johanna Mikl-Leitner. “With Erhard Busek, a great Viennese, Austrian and European has left us,” said Viennese ÖVP boss Karl Maher and club boss Markus Wölbitsch. The former Vice-Chancellor “as Viennese ÖVP chairman and Viennese deputy mayor had a significant influence on and accompanied the positive development of Vienna and opening up to a cosmopolitan metropolis for many years,” said the former Viennese ÖVP chairman Bernhard Görg in a broadcast.
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner praised Busek’s “alert spirit and his affinity for science and art”. As Vice-Chancellor, he made a “decisive contribution to leading Austria towards the European Union”. With Busek, Austria is losing a “bridge builder and a role model for politics,” explained Burgenland’s governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ). “With the death of Erhard Busek, we are losing a politician and pioneer whose great talent it was to look beyond the social and political ‘nose’,” said Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ).
The green club chairwoman Sigrid Maurer will remember Busek “not only for his political work, but also for his enthusiasm for discussion and his commitment to civil society”. The former vice chancellor had the courage to dare something new and opened his party to the ecology movement, according to Maurer.
Neos chairwoman Beate Meinl-Reisinger was sad on Twitter that Busek had significantly influenced her. Ex-Neo boss Matthias Strolz bowed to Busek on Twitter, who was “a political inspiration for decades, a loyal friend and sponsor”. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl sees the former Vice Chancellor as a “controversial political personality” who “has faced the discussion and discourse”.
