National Council election

Kogler: “Good reasons and evidence” for fall date

Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler continues to expect a National Council election in the fall.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Vice-Chancellor and Green Party Chairman Werner Kogler continues to assume a regular date for the upcoming National Council elections. "Yes, I would assume so", he said on the ORF "Pressestunde" program on Sunday. There are also "good reasons and evidence" for an election in the fall.

Kogler once again defended the government work with the chancellor's party, the ÖVP, despite increasing differences in content. There was still enough for the Turkish-Green government to do in this legislative period.

Criticism of the FPÖ's "blue Putin brothers"
While Kogler avoided attacks on the ÖVP with its plans for unemployment benefit, the Vice-Chancellor focused instead on the "blue Putin brothers" of the FPÖ. Party leader Herbert Kickl should first disclose the friendship agreement with Putin's party - which the FPÖ claims has long since been terminated. Kickl envisions an "Orbanistan", again in reference to Hungary. And anyway, there will soon be a National Council election and not a "people's chancellor election".

Kogler defended the fact that the Greens are cooperating with the FPÖ in investigative committees, for example, as it is necessary to find majorities for the delivery of files. And generally "right-wing" or "right-wing conservative" positions must also have their place in a democracy. Right-wing extremists, on the other hand, would attack precisely this democracy - "as in Hungary" - as a concept. FPÖ Secretary General Christian Hafenecker, for example, defended the right-wing extremist meeting in Germany.

"Good news" in the fight against the right
Kogler also sees the Green top candidate for the EU elections, Lena Schilling, as "good news" for the fight against right-wing extremism - as well as for climate protection. The party leader's self-declared goal is to retain the Greens' three mandates ("That was a sensational success back then") in the European Parliament, as the issues are different from last time. "We have a certain headwind."

One of these new challenges for the EU is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. It is now a question of defense capability in Europe. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin wants to destroy Europe, "in any case our values". The Vice Chancellor is not in favor of a "European army in addition to NATO", but the member states should coordinate better and form a bloc. Although Putin is a "criminal dictator", we will also have to negotiate with him.