Resignation suggested

“Dangerous to the state”: new VP attack on Gewessler

The Green Minister Leonore Gewessler is facing new attacks from her coalition partner, the ÖVP.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Despite an upright coalition, the ÖVP and Green Minister Leonore Gewessler are no longer on good terms. Since she voted in favor of the EU renaturation law, the People's Party has been constantly attacking the 46-year-old. ÖVP constitutional spokesman Wolfgang Gerstl has now even described her as an "enemy of the state" and suggested that she resign immediately.

In mid-June, Gewessler had voted against the will of her coalition partner ÖVP in the Council of EU Member States in favor of the renaturation regulation, which was subsequently adopted by a narrow majority.

WKStA examines ÖVP complaint against Gewessler
The People's Party subsequently filed a complaint against the Green Minister for abuse of office because she had failed to reach agreement with the federal provinces and the ÖVP-led Ministry of Agriculture. The complaint is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA). The ÖVP did not support a motion of censure against Gewessler by the FPÖ in July.

"Gewessler breaks with federalism"
Gewessler is breaking federalism and refusing to recognize the unified opinion of the federal states - "knowing that this could only have been overturned by a new unified opinion", said Gerstl, who accused the minister of shifting responsibility to Vienna.

The minister would do well to resign immediately before she is voted out of office by voters.

ÖVP-Verfassungssprecher Gerstl attackiert die grüne Ministerin Gewessler scharf.

Gewessler: "No obligation to reach an agreement"
In her answer to the question, Gewessler justifies the fact that she has spoken out in favor of the renaturation ordinance despite a negative opinion from the federal states by citing Vienna's decision to opt out. The capital city had supported renaturation after a change of course. "If there is no longer a unified position of the federal states, there is no longer a unified position of the federal states," it says. There is also "no obligation to reach agreement" with the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the final vote in the EU Council.

"Minister has committed a breach of the law"
"The Minister has acted irresponsibly and broken the law. She would do well to resign immediately before she is voted out of office by the electorate," Gerstl concludes.

The ÖVP refers to the legal opinion of the Constitutional Service of the Federal Chancellery. However, according to Gewessler's response to the inquiry, this "incorrectly resolved" the legal issue. Moreover, the legal opinion of the Constitutional Service is not intended to be binding.

Green justice spokeswoman defends Gewessler
"A climate protection minister who votes for nature is doing her job and nothing else", Green justice spokesperson Agnes Prammer defended Gewessler's actions. She considers it negligent that she is being called a "danger to the state": "Real dangers are being massively trivialized here."

The ÖVP had become accustomed to "serving the interests of a few lobby groups. It is therefore incomprehensible to them that, in the face of differing legal opinions, they do not cling to the one that changes as little as possible to the status quo, but instead courageously make the decision to protect nature and people," she shot at her coalition partner.

FPÖ shoots sharply against ÖVP
The ÖVP was only trying to pretend that it would do something about Gewessler, said FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz. After all, the ÖVP could have removed Gewessler from office "long ago". "But Nehammer has neither requested Gewessler's dismissal from Federal President Van der Bellen, nor has the ÖVP agreed to our motion of censure against her." Instead, the People's Party is making "bad bargains at the expense of the citizens", Schnedlitz said, referring to the latest appointments to government posts.