Faced with reactions is the Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer for a video that came to light in which he states that parents with low income they can feed their children with fast food and specifically with hamburgers from McDonald’s.
In the video urging eating fast food as a means of tackling poverty, the chancellor is seen complaining about how the media portrays child hunger.
“So what does it mean that a child doesn’t have a hot meal in Austria? Do you know what is the cheapest hot meal in Austria? It’s not healthy, but it’s cheap: a hamburger at McDonald’s – 1.40 euros, and if accompanied with fries 3.50 euros. Now can anyone seriously claim that we live in a country where parents cannot afford this meal for their child.”he said.
“If I have very little income, I work more”Nehammer continued in the video, which was filmed during a wine and cheese event near Salzburg.
A spokesman for the Austrian branch of McDonald’s said that although prices vary, it is possible to have a meal as cheap as the chancellor said. A 250-calorie hamburger is the cheapest on the American chain’s menu.
“Based on common sense, this is obviously the worst health advice you could give anyone, and certainly children. Because children can’t really protect themselves from the effects of unhealthy food choices,” said Dorota Sienkiewicz, EuroHealthNet policy manager.
The chancellor, after the criticism he received, published a video on the X platform, defending the help his government gives to low-income families. However, he did not apologize for posting it.
The pre-election period has begun
Two days ago, the Austrian chancellor launched a public relations campaign with upbeat messages aimed at boosting public confidence in the coalition government, a year before the country’s general election, amid criticism of his party.
“Believe in Austria” was the title of the campaign presented by Neuhammer, leader of the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP). He recognizes the difficulties society is facing due to the pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine and inflation. “At the same time, we saw that the people of Austria are much stronger than many told us and than we acknowledged to ourselves,” he stressed.
However, he presented no new plan, but cited anti-inflation measures, renewable energy subsidies and curbing irregular immigration among the achievements of the government, a coalition of conservatives and greens. The campaign takes place one year before the parliamentary elections.
According to opinion polls, the ÖVP is in second place with an approval rating of around 24%, behind the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) at almost 30%, based on recent polls.
Source: News Beast
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