Daniel Allgäuer:

“Vorarlberg Code is coming soon and will deliver”

Daniel Allgäuer has been State Councillor for Home Affairs and Security, Integration, Energy, Building Construction and Building Management, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering since November.

(Bild: Vorarlberger Freiheitliche)

Provincial councillor Daniel Allgäuer (FPÖ) talks about his goals for 2025 in a major interview with "Krone". He wants to make progress in the energy sector, relying on both tried and tested and new ideas.

"Krone": Mr. Allgäuer, who convinced you to extend your political career and become a provincial councillor?
Daniel Allgäuer: I resigned from my position as Deputy Mayor of Feldkirch in December 2023. In spring 2024, I spoke to Christof Bitschi and told him that after almost 15 years in the provincial parliament, I would be happy to leave a possible mandate to other, younger functionaries. After my 60th birthday in August, I promised my family that I would no longer be a candidate in the fall and would support my four sons in their work.

And then?
Then Christof Bitschi said that we urgently needed to talk again. MPs and officials finally convinced me to run for parliament one last time. So I talked to my wife and sons again, who had already taken over the farm in 2014. The sons laughed and said that they had already figured that I wouldn't be resigning from political office any time soon. The result in the state election was great. I was then involved in the government negotiations and was given portfolios that were a good fit.

Wouldn't the agriculture portfolio have appealed to you?
I was 100 percent sure that the ÖVP would not give it up.

How satisfied are you after your first three months in office?
I was received openly and fairly by the government team. The heads of department all work very professionally. Of course, I realize that I have a lot more appointments to attend as a provincial councillor, everything is scheduled to the letter. But that's okay, I knew what to expect.

You have taken over the security portfolio. What would you like to change?
Basically, I want to maintain the high level we have in the country. We have the highest clearance rate, but this is only possible if the police are motivated. The security partners - police and armed forces - must have the right conditions and backing to do their job well. I don't want to see a situation like that in some major European cities, where there are neighborhoods that the police no longer dare to enter at night.

Your party painted a very gloomy picture after the publication of the crime statistics. How safe is Vorarlberg?
Safety is a basic human need and the best guarantee for peaceful coexistence. People rightly expect this. Of course, there are some hotspots in the state - places that are not 100 percent safe and where women in particular do not feel safe at night. That is why the feeling of safety must be strengthened and guaranteed.

In the debate on the crime statistics, all other parties accused your party leader of exaggerating excessively. Two weeks later, the ÖVP presented a new security commissioner. How much political calculation is involved in such discussions?
I don't speculate when it comes to security. Hard facts are decisive. They show that we basically live in a safe country. At the same time, however, there are now crimes that were unimaginable a few years ago. For example, serious acts of violence and stabbings have increased. We need to take a fact-based approach here - and that is what the police are doing.

Safety is a basic human need and the best guarantee for peaceful coexistence.

Daniel Allgäuer (FPÖ)

How satisfied are you with personnel development in the police force?
Employee satisfaction is crucial for good personnel development. The framework conditions must be right for this, and the lack of respect for police officers in particular is an ever-increasing problem. Overall, the number of applicants and trainees is now developing positively again. It is crucial that we are able to increase the number of staff and fill all of the posts.

What is the status of the long-announced implementation of the Vorarlberg Code? When will it be introduced?
We want to implement this in the first half of 2025. Those responsible in the legal department are currently working on the final version.

How confident are you that this law will withstand possible legal action?
I think that you can rely on the Legislation Department in this House and have no fears. So I assume that it will hold up.

What do you expect from the Vorarlberg Code?
It's about promoting language acquisition, conveying certain cultural values and ensuring that community work is carried out. I expect that cleaning services, snow clearing, lawn mowing and hedge trimming will be taken on in the asylum shelters. This is part of the overall package and is also taken into account. The Vorarlberg Code is a clear signal to asylum seekers that they must be active in these three areas and contribute to society. Anyone who does not fulfill these points must expect sanctions.

How much money is left for your department of energy and energy subsidies now that savings are being made at state level?
All measures are secured for 2025. This has been agreed with the Energy Institute and the departments. There are some minor cuts or postponements. Overall, the budget is respectable and the Energy Institute is also financed for 2025.

Hydropower and biomass are set, there will be no large wind farms.

(Bild: Nextfuel Technology GmbH)

What will happen to the various studies on wind turbines and other energy generation technologies?
I think it is important to allow as many technologies as possible. In a few years' time, we may have possibilities that we don't even know about today. As far as wind power is concerned, there are only a few locations where it makes sense to erect a wind turbine. One of these is Alpe Rauz. There is a pilot project here, in which Illwerke is also on board. We now have to wait for the investigations. It is clear that we will never have wind farms in Vorarlberg like those in other countries.

Are you an energy pioneer?
(laughs) I built a biogas plant in 2001 in a partnership with the Feldkirch public utility company, which still exists today. The plant has been successively expanded over the years. We now produce around 1.5 million kilowatts of electricity a year. I did it back then because it was important to me to be a bit autonomous. Careful use of energy was important to me and I wanted to produce renewable energy. That has worked out well.

Which expansion would you like to drive forward?
Hydropower is clearly the most important source of energy in the country. This is followed by biomass in the area of thermal energy and then photovoltaics. I am convinced that there will be a further expansion in the latter area. One topic that I find very interesting is deep geothermal energy. There are two suitable areas in the country. However, the seismographic investigations are very expensive.

Does that mean the topic is completely off the table?
There are good examples in the Braunau-Simbach region and I see a certain potential. The decisive factor is whether an investor can be found who is also prepared to take on certain financial risks. I will be holding talks in this regard. There is also great potential in the use of waste heat in the industrial sector. Efforts and preliminary studies are also being made here - all of which would be a great contribution to climate protection.