Dispute not an isolated case

Chronology of the turquoise-green conflicts

There has been a lot of arguing over the past five years.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/BKA/Andy Wenzel)

The dispute over Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) and the EU renaturation law recently sparked a government crisis. However, it was not the first time that conflicts within the turquoise-green coalition have been aired in public. The "Krone" has an overview.

The formation of the government following the National Council elections in September 2019 resulted in a coalition between the People's Party and the Greens for the first time. The then head of government Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) spoke of the "best of both worlds" before the inauguration in January 2020. However, the current situation once again reveals the deep differences of opinion between the coalition partners, ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the Climate Protection Act.

Corona pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were repeated discussions about how to deal with safety measures and school openings. The Greens advocated strict hygiene measures and cautious openings. The People's Party called for swift action to minimize educational deficits and social consequences for children. The central figure in the pandemic was Green Health Minister Rudolf Anschober. As a result of the heavily criticized crisis communication and the lifting of the measures of the first lockdown by the Constitutional Court, his poll ratings began to fall significantly in autumn 2020. In April 2021, Anschober announced his resignation due to health problems. His successor Wolfgang Mückstein was not exactly happy and resigned after just eleven months.

At the beginning, the government had to deal almost exclusively with coronavirus.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Migration and asylum policy
In January 2021, deportations of well-integrated students from Armenia and Georgia were carried out. This took place amid massive protests from human rights groups and sections of the public. The then Minister of the Interior Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) defended the procedure, but was sharply criticized by the Greens. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Justice Minister Alma Zadic publicly called for a more humane migration policy.

Corruption investigations
In October 2021, the public prosecutor's office raided the Federal Chancellery and the offices of the ÖVP. This was triggered by allegations that Kurz and his entourage had misused public funds for party political interests. The Federal Chancellor and his People's Party denied the allegations and spoke of a politically motivated campaign. There were calls for more transparency and for the independent judiciary to be upheld. These incidents led to a serious coalition crisis, with the Greens questioning their participation in the government. After intensive negotiations, both parties agreed to continue together. The condition was that Kurz would resign as Chancellor and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg would take over. He was soon followed by Nehammer.

Kurz handed over office and party to Nehammer.

(Bild: APA/Erwin Scheriau)

Tax reform
Ambitious CO2 pricing and investment in climate protection were the Greens' conditions for tax reform. The People's Party supported these demands, but at the same time advocated business-friendly compensation measures and tax relief. The negotiations proved difficult and dragged on until October 2021, when the "eco-social tax reform" was finalized.

Lobautunnel
The planned construction of the Vienna Lobautunnel led to massive controversy. The People's Party considered the project to be necessary for traffic relief and economic development. The Green Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler, on the other hand, stopped the project in November 2021 on the grounds that it was harmful to the environment and not in line with climate targets. This led to a massive conflict with the affected provinces of Vienna and Lower Austria as well as the ÖVP.

The Environment Minister was a bone of contention for the ÖVP.

(Bild: ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / picturedesk.com)

Judiciary
The ÖVP and the Greens also failed to reach a common denominator in the debate on judicial reform. In order to promote the independence of the judiciary, the Minister of Justice is to be replaced at the top of the chain of command for public prosecutors. The parties disagree on who should take on this role.

Climate Protection Act
Austria has not had a valid Climate Protection Act for more than three years now. The old regulation expired in 2020, and a new one has been under negotiation since the start of government cooperation. The plan to enshrine the goal of "climate neutrality by 2040" in law was actually part of the government program, but has not yet been implemented. The issues of climate and environmental protection have been an ongoing issue between the ÖVP and the Greens throughout the legislative period. In addition to the Climate Protection Act, the Electricity Industry Act and the Renewable Energy Expansion Acceleration Act were also left hanging at the end of the day.