94.5% for Kogler

Green cheers for Gewessler: “Infinite victory”

Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler was elected second on the list and received thunderous applause.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

The Green Party's federal congress in Vienna began on Saturday with sustained jubilation for Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler. Her party colleague Werner Kogler was chosen as the Greens' top candidate for the National Council elections with 94.5 percent. Gewessler, Alma Zadić, club leader Sigrid Maurer, Secretary General Olga Voglauer and social spokesperson Markus Koza follow in the places.

This week, Gewessler voted almost single-handedly against the will of the ÖVP in favor of the EU renaturation law, thus shaking off the mantle of a compliant small coalition partner for her party just in time for the election campaign.

"Green history written"
The more than 200 delegates at the Ankerbrotfabrik in Vienna-Favoriten acknowledged this with a standing ovation. "Dear Leonore, that was an infinite victory, an infinite victory for nature," cheered Viennese co-party leader Judith Pühringer: "You have made green history this week."

The program of the congress includes the selection of the lists for the National Council elections on 29 September. The top candidate is Federal Spokesman and Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler.

94.5 percent for Kogler
Five years ago, he received 98.58 percent approval from his party. On Saturday, he was chosen as the Greens' top candidate for the national election with 94.5 percent. Nevertheless, the Green mood was very positive. Gewessler received 98.1 percent of the delegates' votes.

Club leader Maurer punished
Behind Kogler and Gewessler, Zadić landed in third place on the list with 98.5 percent. The election results for Maurer and Voglauer in fourth and fifth place were less unanimous, with 81.9 and 73.5 percent of votes in favor respectively. Markus Koza, sixth on the list, achieved 93.7 percent.

Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler was elected second on the list and received thunderous applause.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

(from left) Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (GREENS), Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (GREENS) and Justice Minister Alma Zadic (GREENS)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

"Starting signal for the race to catch up"
In his 40-minute speech, he spoke of the "starting signal for the race to catch up that we are beginning". The Greens are the driving force behind reform in Germany, he said, and they stand up for the right things even in the face of headwinds. Gewessler had already been celebrated when the party leadership moved in, and Kogler reiterated this: "Nature conservation has won, throughout Europe. Thank you Leonore!"

Once again, he invoked the unity of the Greens in difficult times, without explicitly mentioning the EU elections and the Lena Schilling case. "We have not let ourselves be blown away and we have stuck together more than before," he said. Kogler then listed the achievements of the last five years, such as the abolition of official secrecy and the strengthening of the judiciary.

In the last National Council elections in 2019, the Greens achieved 13.9 percent, although the current governing party is far below this in the polls. Nevertheless, the goal for neo-spouse Kogler is continued government participation, as he recently emphasized. The FPÖ responded with the following: "This Green candidate list for the upcoming National Council elections is Kogler's very last line-up - the 'last generation' of the Greens."