ÖVP against ÖBB privatisation

Three months ago ÖVP Finance Minister Fekter wanted to sell the Federal Railways (ÖBB), now the ÖVP is pedalling back.

The Wirtschaftsblatt newspaper cited ÖVP spokesperson for traffic affairs, Martin Bartenstein, today (Fri) as saying: “The ÖBB and privatisation is like the devil and the holy water.”

He added that privatisation could not even be thought of as long as “the federal railways are not ready for the capital market. First the company has to be led to writing black figures.”

Bartenstein denied ÖBB-head Christian Kern’s wish for a 400 million Euro capital injection as well as Fekter’s wish to privatise the ÖBB.

Bartenstein instead argued for selling the ÖBB’s power plants, which Kern opposes for then having to buy expensive electricity.