BASF millionaire Marlene Engelhorn (32) has started distributing her assets. The “Good Council on Redistribution” began its work last Saturday. This citizens’ assembly should decide what should happen with the 25 million euros from Engelhorn’s private assets. By June 8th and 9th – the date of the last meeting – we should work together on how the money will be used. According to project manager Alexandra Wang, the 50 people who take part in the “Guter Rat” citizens’ assembly are intended to represent a kind of “mini-Austria”.
Democratic solution
Why do we have to make it so complicated, ORF presenter Armin Wolf asked the activist on “ZiB2” on Tuesday evening. Structural problems require structural solutions, answers Engelhorn. If she “quietly and secretly” gives away or donates her assets, that doesn’t solve any problem, we have to think further.
That’s also the reason why she doesn’t simply transfer the money to the tax office. “I can do that, but it’s not a structural solution,” Engelhorn repeats. Nobody can forbid her from seeking a democratic solution to her problems. And: “The finance minister can get a lot more than just my assets.” Supporting a party is therefore out of the question for her: “I don’t see how others can buy influence through party donations.” Even through a wealth and Inheritance tax must be “decided on as a whole by society”.
But what if the Citizens’ Assembly wants to transfer the money to the EU border protection agency Frontex or use it to buy weapons for Ukraine? “Anything hostile to life is out of the question,” says Engelhorn. And: “When the time comes, we can really take a look at it, and I would get expertise to help me classify it. But I don’t assume so. I have a lot of trust in these 50 people.”
Watch the interview in the video:
More about Marlene Engelhorn