Slap in the face for the Chancellor: Stocker's statement causes outcry from the audience
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker triggered an angry reaction during a public event in Salzburg after saying he does not consider childcare to be unpaid work. Several people in the audience protested, while moderator Arabella Kiesbauer openly challenged his statement.
The controversy erupted during Stocker’s Sommertour (summer tour) at the Hotel Imlauer in Salzburg. A woman asked the ÖVP (Austrian People’s Party) chancellor about stronger financial support for mothers, pointing out that mothers in Austria reportedly provide around 96 hours of unpaid childcare each week.
Stocker responded that he did not view childcare as work and said he had not raised his own children as “calculations.” He argued that families should not be treated as a business case or financial calculation, emphasizing that family is about responsibility and doing things for one another without expecting payment.
His comments immediately drew protests from the audience. Moderator Arabella Kiesbauer also disagreed with the chancellor, arguing that society could not function without the work performed by mothers. She called for this work to be shared more fairly and recognized more strongly, receiving applause from the audience.
The Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery) later attempted to clarify Stocker’s remarks. A spokesperson said the chancellor did not intend to deny that childcare requires an enormous amount of work, particularly noting that women who carry most of the childcare responsibilities in many families make an outstanding contribution.
The spokesperson said Stocker was instead trying to argue that children should not be viewed as a “Rechenbeispiel (calculation)” or reduced to their financial value. However, the original comments quickly spread across social media and triggered criticism in Austria’s political debate.
Stocker also faced criticism at the same event over housing costs in Salzburg. Asked what he would tell a 25-year-old unable to find affordable housing, he pointed to the surrounding area and said affordable apartments were available there, although he could not specify exactly where.