Vorarlberg’s ÖVP ministers feature prominently in state press releases

Vorarlberg Governor Markus Wallner appeared in nearly one in three state press releases through September, while members of his ÖVP party were mentioned more often on average than ministers from smaller coalition partners, ORF reported.

The state-funded releases cover topics ranging from traffic updates to kindergarten openings. Wallner’s name appeared in 29.9% of them this year, a share that has remained fairly steady for several years, apart from a marked decline in 2022 during the Wirtschaftsbund affair.

The state communications office said the governor’s prominent role reflects the range of his responsibilities in state and federal administration. His share was similar to that of Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil. Salzburg Governor Karoline Edtstadler, by contrast, appeared in fewer than one-fifth of state releases this year.

When Wallner is excluded, ÖVP government members have still been mentioned more often on average than members of smaller coalition partners in most years. The exception was 2018 and 2019, when the Greens were part of the government.

The individual figures vary. Health and Social Affairs Minister Martina Rüscher appeared in 8.4% of releases this year, despite overseeing major topics including the hospital campus and a debate over merging maternity wards in Bregenz and Dornbirn. Agriculture Minister Christian Gantner appeared in 18.5%.

The state said it does not keep statistics on whether, or how often, government members’ offices suggest topics or provide material for communications. During the coronavirus pandemic, Rüscher featured much more frequently: in 2021, she appeared in 258 releases, close to Wallner’s 292.

Vorarlberg’s guidelines for government communications do not distinguish between party politics and official government work, and do not require objectivity, unlike guidelines in Styria. They do prohibit the state from placing advertisements in party media. There are no precise legal rules governing publicly funded communications at either federal or state level.

Wallner has used state releases to criticise opposition proposals. In one, he rejected Green Party leader Leonore Gewessler’s renewed call for an inheritance tax.

The number of state press releases has fallen in recent years. The state published and distributed 730 last year, compared with more than 1,100 in 2018. The state communications office did not say whether it was shifting more of its work to social media.