Coalition bone of contention

“Leonore Gewessler is Herbert Kickl of the Greens!”

(Bild: krone.tv)

Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler has turned the Greens, which are a governing party, into an NGO from the left, says ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker. "The approach that Ms. Gewessler has taken here shows us that Leonore Gewessler is the Herbert Kickl of the Greens."

It is no secret that the atmosphere between the Turquoise and Green parties is difficult "when a minister overrides everything in an unprecedented solo effort", explained the ÖVP Secretary General in the krone.tv talk with Jana Pasching. The ÖVP filed a complaint for abuse of office.

However, the ÖVP did not participate in a motion of censure tabled by the FPÖ in the National Council on Wednesday. Because: "There will be new elections in three months anyway. In addition, the Federal Chancellor stands for an orderly end to the term of government."

ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker

(Bild: krone.tv)

No trust in Gewessler
However, the constitutional breach that Gewessler is accused of in the ÖVP is not supported in any way, as Stocker emphasized when asked: "We have made full use of the legal options available to us. The rest will be decided by the courts." The FPÖ is deliberately tabling this motion of no confidence in order to polarize and divide, says Stocker. "Even if we no longer have confidence in Leonore Gewessler, we will not give in to this provocation." After all, there are still decisions to be made for the people. 

Stocker does not want to say whether the Greens have completely disqualified themselves for further coalition possibilities. "The voters will decide that. We are running as a people's party with Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and there is no other party in our luggage, but the Austria Plan."

ÖVP wants to "build bridges"
With the FPÖ, a right-wing party has been on the rise for months, but established and new parties to the left of center are also pushing their way into the National Council. Recently, there has been a feeling that the ÖVP has been repeatedly veering to the right, for example with the proposed Leitkultur or the payment card for asylum seekers.

Stocker replies: "The Leitkultur is something that is worth stating. We don't want to leave this issue to the right or the left." Society is being pulled apart by the extreme left and right fringes. There therefore needs to be a force that brings the issues together and builds bridges. "And that is the center."

Other topics, such as whether the ÖVP is trembling before the Pilnacek Commission's final report and why Stocker describes Peter Pilz's new book as a "fairytale book", can be seen in the video above!