communication matters presents a quick evaluation of Beate Meinl-Reisinger’s (NEOS) summer interview, analyzed using five key criteria:
Language, Key Terms, Analogies
“This can’t go on like this”—this statement serves both as an analysis and a central theme of Meinl-Reisinger’s interview. She uses vivid imagery like “mountain of debt” and “spending brake” to underline her points. As solutions, the NEOS leader highlights two key concepts: courage and reforms. She skillfully reiterates these main messages across nearly every topic she discusses.
Meinl-Reisinger speaks fluent standard German, with occasional traces of her Viennese accent shining through. Her sentences are grammatically correct and well-constructed, and she answers questions with ease. However, she frequently uses the phrase “I believe,” which weakens her stance. Stronger phrasing, such as “I am certain” or “I am convinced,” could have reinforced her arguments more effectively.
Facial Expressions, Gestures, Posture
For much of the interview, Meinl-Reisinger maintains a cheerful smile but is capable of adopting a more serious demeanor when appropriate. When reflecting on a question, she often looks downward before delivering her response. Her posture is relaxed yet fully upright, with no visible fidgeting or shifting in her seat.
She frequently uses hand gestures to emphasize her points and occasionally raises her index finger—a gesture reminiscent of a “teacherly” approach—to introduce concepts she says she will “briefly explain.” Interestingly, she often uses her fingers to suggest a list of points but typically only elaborates on one. When her hands aren’t engaged in expressive gestures, she is busy swatting away the wasps circling around her.
Explicitly Mentioned Target Groups
Meinl-Reisinger does not directly reference many specific societal groups. The exception is during her discussion on education, where she mentions teachers, educators, and students. Surprisingly, she makes no mention of women—despite being the only female leading candidate—or entrepreneurs, groups one might expect her to address.
Responses to Critical Questions
When asked about the challenging situation in Vienna’s schools, Meinl-Reisinger employs a classic technique to deflect difficult questions: shifting the narrative. She introduces a personal anecdote about a Bosnian child, steering the conversation away from the question. She then pivots to criticizing the federal government (“this can’t go on like this”) while praising the work of Vienna’s education councilor Wiederkehr (“courage and reforms”).
How Often Did the Word “Austria” Appear?
We counted only six mentions of the word “Austria.”
At communication matters, we don’t work for political parties, but we do offer media training for anyone with something to say.
