Green balance sheet:

“We should not lie to the population”

(Bild: krone.tv )

After the national elections, the Greens are facing a new start in opposition. Secretary General Olga Voglauer talks to Jürgen Winterleitner in an interview with krone.tv about Green successes, mistakes and the future of the party. Voglauer says, "When you look back, you always realize where you are smarter today."

According to Voglauer, the Green Party's greatest achievements include the climate ticket, the abolition of the cold progression and the introduction of freedom of information. The expansion of renewable energies and the future plastic deposit were also milestones: "These are paradigm shifts that will have an impact far beyond our time in government."

Failures and criticism
In retrospect, the party should have drawn more attention to the threats posed by climate change, says Voglauer. She sees mistakes above all in communication: "We should have communicated earlier and more clearly that climate protection is not a question of ideology, but a question of social justice." Some parties in Europe and Austria deny climate change. Voglauer: "It's as if I were to come home and simply tell my children lies that the future will work out. But the natural disasters that are happening here are completely normal. I don't lie to my children and we shouldn't lie to the Austrian people either."

Olga Voglauer, Secretary General of the Greens, in an interview with krone.tv

(Bild: krone.tv )

Environment Minister Gewessler's decision to approve the EU renaturation law without consulting the ÖVP also caused tensions. Nevertheless, Voglauer defended this as "a right step for nature conservation".

Challenges in the opposition
Voglauer takes a critical view of the current political landscape. According to her, a Europe-wide shift to the right and increasing populist tendencies are making the work of the Greens more difficult: "The laws of nature do not follow party logic. The Greens' responsibility remains to strengthen the rule of law and democracy."

The future of the Greens
In opposition, the party wants to emphasize social justice and climate protection above all. "Climate protection is the most pressing issue of our time. It's about averting the worst before it's too late," emphasizes Voglauer. The party plans to realign its content by the federal congress in summer 2024. It is still unclear who will succeed Werner Kogler as party leader. According to party leader Kogler in the ZiB2 interview on Thursday, the choices include Leonore Gewessler, Alma Zadic and Stefan Kaineder.

Looking ahead to the next government
Voglauer is relaxed about the fact that the Greens are excluded from the current exploratory talks. However, she emphasized that constitutional majorities are hardly possible without the Greens: "Our hand remains outstretched when it comes to jointly driving forward important reforms."

With a positive view of its past successes and clear goals for the future, the party wants to regain trust and continue to shape politics as an opposition party.

Join the discussion: What do you think of the Greens' policies to date and their strategy for the future? Which issues do you think the party should prioritize? Share your opinion in the comments!

Watch the full interview in the video above.