National Council election

Willi: The Green number 1 does not have to be Kogler

Mayor Georg Willi at the campaign launch for the Innsbruck municipal elections(Bild: APA/EXPA/JOHANN GRODER)

The Green mayor of Innsbruck, Georg Willi, is "open" about who should lead the Greens in the upcoming National Council elections. "We certainly have three great people. The coming months will show that", Willi said in an interview.

In addition to Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler, he also named Justice Minister Alma Zadic and Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler. The latter two responded by emphasizing that the top candidate is Kogler.

"Werner will lead us in an important election campaign"
"We are running in his team and we are glad that Werner will lead us in this important election campaign," said the two ministers in a reaction to Willi, backing their party leader. 

For the mayor of Innsbruck, however, the matter had not been so clear beforehand. When asked which of the three - Kogler, Zadić or Gewesssler - he thought would be best as the lead candidate, he told APA: "I can't say today. Everyone has incredible strengths."

Justice Minister Zadic was present at the election campaign kick-off on March 1.(Bild: APA/EXPA/JOHANN GRODER)

"Kogler can take people with him"
The question of the top candidate will be decided by the Greens in a "grassroots democratic way", emphasized Willi. He therefore does not consider Green Party leader Kogler, who wants to run again, to be a foregone conclusion. At the same time, however, the city leader also praised the Vice-Chancellor: "He is a mixture of determination and someone who can explain things well and take people along with him."

In any case, the Greens should "sell our successes more confidently" in the election campaign and say: "This only exists because the Greens exist." The eco party is "the only force that is prepared to take the boldest steps in the area of climate change, for example".

On April 14, the city leader has a local council election to beat. In terms of possible coalitions with Green participation, Willi did not want to commit himself. A "center-left" coalition with the SPÖ and the NEOS is possible, as well as a continuation of the cooperation with the ÖVP. For mathematical reasons, however, a two-party coalition would probably no longer be possible.

No preference for possible coalition partners
According to Willi, he has no preference here. It will be a question of which partners will be able to implement the goals that are important to the Greens, especially with regard to the "energy transition".