Blümel hands over office to Brunner at the Finance Ministry
Following his inauguration by the Federal President this afternoon, Magnus Brunner took over as Minister of Finance at the head of Austria's Ministry of Finance. In a traditional symbolic gesture, Gernot Blümel presented the historic Finance Ministry keys to the Ministry's new boss.
Outgoing Finance Minister Blümel thanked Ministry employees for their work over the past few years: "I have always valued the department's expertise. Together, we have achieved a great deal for working people, for the economy and for the country. We have successfully overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with our assistance payments – particularly when compared with other countries. The fact that we have additionally succeeded in finalising our ecosocial tax reform programme and establishing a sustainable budget path makes me very proud."
As Blümel explains, Magnus Brenner's appointment hands the portfolio to a Minister who is not only an experienced politician, but who also has relevant experience in the private sector: "I am certain that we have the right person at the head of the Finance Ministry."
Looking ahead to his new role, Magnus Brunner stresses the Finance Ministry's sound reputation: "I wish to thank Gernot Blümel, who has proficiently led the Ministry of Finance through the pandemic during difficult times, and who has made a vital contribution to dealing with the economic crisis. The implementation of ecosocial tax reform, which was essentially initiated by Mr Blümel, will be one of my first projects."
"Our country faces three challenges," declares the new Finance Minister: "We must successfully get the country and the economy through the crisis. We will drive forward our efforts to ease the burden on citizens, and when the crisis is over, our aim is to return to a sustainable budget path."
Photo gallery of inauguration and handover: https://bit.ly/3GjuhCt
Photo credits: BKA/Wenzel