Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) aims to swiftly implement the agreed-upon messenger surveillance as outlined in the government’s program. He emphasized in an interview with APA that a constitutional provision is not necessarily required for this. In addition, his priority for the first phase of the government includes halting family reunification and combating juvenile crime. However, Karner did not disclose where the required budget cuts would be made.
The messenger surveillance, according to the Interior Minister, will be based on the bill he sent for review during the previous legislative period. Any suggestions from experts or the new coalition partners, SPÖ and NEOS, will now be incorporated, after which he plans to “quickly move into implementation.”
Karner stressed that this is not mass surveillance: “It concerns only a few individual cases.” The Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates about 25 to 30 such cases per year. Karner doesn’t believe a constitutional provision is necessary: “A broad majority is always a good thing, but ultimately, a simple majority is also a valid option.” Any party concerned with ensuring security, fighting terrorism and extremism, should support giving the police the necessary tools to do their job.
The first phase of the government’s activities will also focus on the restructuring of family reunification, which will be governed by a quota system. The first step will involve a legislative change, with further details to be defined in a regulation. Karner remains firm that the reunification will be entirely stopped initially. The government has also informed the EU Commission that it will invoke the so-called protection clause: “It’s about protecting the Austrian population. Therefore, we have triggered it.”
The next step will be to develop a model for “regionally compatible immigration,” taking factors like knowledge of the German language, financial self-sufficiency, and available school placements into account. When asked if “regionally compatible” meant that people could be referred to specific federal states with adequate capacities, Karner replied: “This could be part of the integration barometer.”
The sharp decline in family reunification recently is also linked to the suspension of applications from Syrians, which are currently not being processed. Karner did not specify how long this will continue due to the unclear situation in the country. More central to him is the effort to repatriate citizens to Syria and Afghanistan: “If we want a credible asylum policy, we must also ensure the return of offenders and criminals to these regions.”
The plans for return centers, where rejected refugees will stay to prevent them from going underground before deportation, remain vague. It will be necessary to determine how long someone can stay in such a facility. These centers are not intended to be like detention centers.
Regarding budget cuts, Karner stated that about 15 percent will be saved in all ministries on material expenses. Whether this will affect government program projects, such as the modernization of police stations, fleet upgrades, or drone purchases, Karner did not provide detailed answers, as the budget negotiations have just begun. The primary focus will be on finding savings within the central departments.
Despite the budgetary challenges, Karner assured that the personnel expansion would remain a priority. This also has the benefit of reducing overtime, which had been a concern for the staff association. Karner described the reversal of this decision as “unusual.”
The Interior Minister made it clear that, although the budget will be “challenging,” security cannot be compromised. The fight against terrorism and illegal migration will continue, and the presence of law enforcement will remain intact.
