Austrian culture minister resigns over arts reopening

Austrian culture minister resigns over arts reopening

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norman lebrecht

May 15, 2020

The secretary of state for culture Ulrike Lunacek resigned this morning under pressure from the festivals and theatres sector which complained she was not acting fast enough to let them reopen for business.

This is Austria. Logic has nothing to to with politics.

More here.

Comments

  • M McAlpine says:

    Logic has nothing to do with politics? Only in Austria?

  • Sean says:

    Let them reopen. Will they assume responsibility for people who get the virus under their tender care?

    • Alan says:

      Why should they? You don’t want to go? Then don’t go. other adults can decide for themselves what to do. It is time to at least try and get things moving again.

    • LewesBird says:

      Why should anyone have any responsibility for people getting the virus? By now everyone is fully informed about what’s going on and what’s at stake. So long as they offer full refunds to those who don’t wish to come anymore, the presence in the audience of everyone else constitutes consent in respect of any consequences that might arise.

      • Peter San Diego says:

        People not only take on risk to themselves — more importantly, they subsequently expose others to the risk. And in addition to personal suffering, the risk is expressed in costs to society, even in an “opened” economy: the healthcare and related costs that are not borne by the ill, etc.

        If pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people weren’t infectious, it would indeed be entirely a matter of personal choice.

        • Boris says:

          Ah yes, “Karen” rears her wagging finger. We must all do our part to sustain our role in the collective nightmare our inferiors have foisted upon us, even though a cursory review, an hour of time perhaps, perusing some epidemiologic data, Swiss Propaganda Research – excellent site – leading medical opinion all, would lead one to question, dare we say it, the veracity of the narrative.

          No, me must parrot and repeat, parrot and repeat. Danger! Danger! Think of others! It’s not just you, you selfish twit! Not just your jowls craving that Bavarian Cream and coffee in public. Think of the carnage that would erupt if people went out and about…before it’s…wait for it… Safe! (and by the way, I’ve just read that driving a car is to be limited to 20 KPH at all times. This will save lives, of course, and keep us…safe.

        • Tamino says:

          that’s also true. tricky matter, how to act responsibly. we also can’t shut down everything indefinitely, just because someone always can catch something.
          I mean we wouldn’t have any music to perform in Salzburg, had previous generations applied the same precaution against microbes.
          Also a strong immune system can’t develop in isolation…

  • Anon says:

    It’s not politics, but money, that really runs the show. For some, dead bodies piling up is preferable to losing money. This virus has certainly exposed the heartless, cruel nature of many of the people in power.

    • Saxon Broken says:

      Actually, many of us think the people who want an everlasting lockdown to “save lives” are cruel. They don’t care about the lives they are ruining in their attempt to safe “Covid-lives” because no other lives matters.

  • Marcello says:

    I don’t think this is correct. If I am not mistaken, Lunacek is a specialist in foreign relations and for some (political) reasons was made responsible for culture in the new government. Under normal circumstances this would be an easy job, but Corona has put her in the spotlight and she proved her incompetence at a press conference a few weeks ago. Since then, artists have constantly called for her resignation.

  • Marcello says:

    PS: I am not Austrian and don’t live there. But I can read German and follow some of the blogs.

  • Christine says:

    Lunacek never was minister. Culture is “only” a state secretary. This is already a thing that artists and other people have complained about, stating the overall importance of arts and culture to Austria and the Austrian economy.

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