Because of major projects

ÖVP will still need a new green enemy

On May 23, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler and Governor Thomas Stelzer sealed the agreement on the regional light rail system in Linz, flanked by Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (right), Klaus Luger and Manfred Haimbuchner.

(Bild: Land OÖ/Antonio Bayer)

Upper Austrian Governor Thomas Stelzer and his State Councillor for Economic Affairs Markus Achleitner are boycotting Minister Leonore Gewessler because of her unilateral approach to renaturation in Brussels. Whether this is clever in view of upcoming major projects in the state is questionable, however.

It was an act of defiance: because Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) voted in favor of the EU renaturation law against the will of the ÖVP, the black energy councillors showed her the long nose on Friday: they refused to attend the joint meeting in Vorarlberg. Spearheading the anti-Gewessler phalanx: Upper Austrian state councillor Markus Achleitner.

Fallen out of favor
His party leader, Governor Thomas Stelzer, has also been less than squeamish since Gewessler went it alone: a continuation of the ÖVP-Green coalition after the National Council elections in the fall could only happen without the now disgraced minister.

It is obvious: the election campaign has begun. How far-sighted the boycott of Gewessler by Stelzer and Achleitner is, however, can be questioned. After all, important projects are still pending in Upper Austria, for which the goodwill of a minister with a considerable budget would not be a disadvantage.

It used to be different
Exactly one month ago, Stelzer and Gewessler were still standing shoulder to shoulder with friendly smiles: the federal-state agreement on the Linz regional light rail mega-project was sealed - the federal government is paying almost half a billion euros for it.

Expansion of the Westbahn line
There are also other dates coming up soon that are important for Upper Austria: On July 1, the ground-breaking ceremony for the further four-track expansion of the Westbahn line will take place in Hörsching - on the list of visitors: Minister Gewessler and Provincial Councillor Achleitner. It will be interesting to see how the meeting goes in terms of atmosphere. "I differentiate between a person and their state function," Achleitner tries to be pragmatic in advance.

Governor Stelzer will also have to demonstrate this next Friday. He will be opening Europe's most modern plastics sorting plant in Enns. The previous speaker: Leonore Gewessler.