Balance sheet before NR election

Maurer: “We often fought hard”

Sigrid Maurer

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Almost two months before the National Council elections, Sigrid Maurer, head of the Green Party, draws a positive balance of the Greens' participation in government: "We often fought hard, also to achieve what we promised." Even after the election, the Greens want to continue to play an active role in shaping the future. 

However, the prospects of the climate protection law, which has been pending for a long time, being passed soon are slim. According to Maurer, this is not part of the latest agreement with the ÖVP.

However, legislative decisions have been made in many other areas of climate and nature protection over the past five years. She also cited the abolition of official secrecy, transparent party coffers, transparency and anti-corruption, the free climate ticket for 18-year-olds and the bottle deposit: "These are very important milestones for Austria, and of course every single one of them has been hard fought for."

The Greens' goal for September 29: to win "as many seats as possible".

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

They are governing with a party from which they are sometimes far removed in terms of content, but finding a compromise is the epitome of democracy. Maurer's conclusion: "I can take absolute responsibility for every single decision in this government."

In the meantime, an agreement has been reached on phasing out Russian gas by 2027 in the new security strategy, and the National Energy and Climate Plan and the Renewable Gases Act are also to be implemented. The same applies to outstanding personnel decisions, from appointments to the Governing Board of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) to appointments to the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG).

The Greens also recently made a compromise with their approval of Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) as Austria's candidate for EU Commissioner. "The ÖVP could not be persuaded to nominate someone independent," regrets Maurer.

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Renaturation: "Concreting over is not our course"
 The fact that the ÖVP reacted to Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler's approval of the EU renaturation law with fierce protest was "absolutely" worth it. With her vote, Gewessler had made it possible for this extremely important nature conservation law to be passed at European level. "The ÖVP would like to concrete over and asphalt even more, that is not our course," Maurer emphasized.

"Right-wing extremists are always our opponents"
For Maurer, the distinction to the FPÖ is clear anyway: "Right-wing extremists are always our opponents", as they are concerned with destroying democracy and have nothing to do with climate protection or social benefits. 

"We are experienced in every type of political work"
The conditions for the upcoming National Council elections are "definitely more challenging" than in 2019, when the Greens achieved a very good result in parallel with the international climate movement and returned to the National Council. She has no doubts about the unity of the Greens. "We have been able to master every situation well," emphasized Maurer. And: "We are experienced in every type of political work." However, she would prefer to see her party back in a coalition, because: "There is a place for the Greens in government."