CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 02/2023

L’AUTRICHE INTERVIEW
62 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2023
eign policy is necessary, and for me, it means
actively promoting women’s issues in
foreign policy.
It is crucial to me that Austria is represented
externally by strong female ambassadors.
An ambassador is the country’s
business card, and I want to see an equal
presence of strong female ambassadors representing
Austria abroad. In this aspect,
we are ahead of the Germans: we have a
higher percentage of female ambassadors
and a higher percentage of female leaders in
the Foreign Ministry. However, I have still
observed the presence of a glass ceiling.
You are also in regular contact with embassies
here in Vienna to discuss women and family issues.
Yes, I have regular contact with many
embassies because I used to work in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through this
experience, I have come to appreciate the
wealth of knowledge that ambassadors
bring, expanding our perspective on other
countries: What are they doing, what can
they do better than us? Where can Austria,
on the other hand, serve as a role model?
Gender equality is always a major topic, especially
when meeting with female ambassadors.
I recently discussed with the British
ambassador that Austria is a pioneer in efforts
to protect women from violence. We
had the first domestic violence protection
law in Europe, and I am proud of that. We
have recently launched new initiatives to
enhance violence protection, expand infrastructure,
establish counselling centres,
and create new women’s centres.
As the responsible minister, how do you assess the
recent debates about issues with the integration
of migrants?
I have been working in the field of integration
for over ten years, in the Ministry
of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
and now as a minister myself. I believe that
Austria has achieved a lot in terms of integration.
Integration is not a black-or-white
issue, it is not all good or bad. Integration
varies depending on what each individual
is willing to contribute. However, successful
integration also depends on the number
of people coming to Austria. In
2015/16, we had a large number of newly
arrived refugees in Austria. These were
huge challenges – and they still are. We see
that many of these people, especially women,
have not yet succeeded in the labour
market.
Additionally, many people have recently
come to us from Ukraine. In their case, I
see that integration is much easier, as they
have learned German very well within a
year and bring a high level of qualifications,
making it easier for them to find employment.
This is crucial for inte-gration, as it
enables them to sustain themselves.
Is integration more challenging in big cities like
Vienna compared to rural areas?
In urban areas with a significant influx
of people, where non-German speakers
are concentrated in specific neighbourhoods,
integration can be more challenging
due to limited contact with Austrians.
Breaking down these segregated communities
is crucial for successful integration,
as well as reducing overall immigration.
For many years, it was believed that tolerance
alone would solve integration issues,
but that’s not the case. Integration requires
both support and obligations. In 2017, we
implemented mandatory German courses,
values education, and integration counselling.
By promoting and expecting active
participation, we can foster successful integration.
PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA
ENTGELTLICHE EINSCHALTUNG PHOTOS: IMRE ANTAL, ZVG, DANIEL HINTERRAMSKOGLER
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