WK election 2025

Ertel: “No economic activity at the expense of nature!”

As an EPU, Markus Ertel is not tied to a fixed workplace. He prefers to do his job as a graphic designer and advertiser at Lake Wörthersee.

(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

The Chamber of Commerce elections will take place on March 12 and 13. Markus Ertel, the regional spokesperson for the Green Economy, explains in an interview with the "Krone" what he values about self-employment and why people should vote for his group.

Markus Ertel, regional spokesperson for the Green Economy, not only works as a graphic designer in his own advertising agency, but has also been passing on his knowledge at the Wifi technical academy for decades.

Why are you working in the Chamber of Commerce and not in politics? There are certainly parallels.
So I am very much part of the green universe. But we're not a sub-organization, just a friendly organization. And I personally see the economic aspect of making a difference in society much, much more strongly. 

Is it possible to reconcile your job with your activities in the Chamber of Commerce? 
For me, there are few conflicts. I try to use the experience I have gained over the decades in the Chamber of Commerce. I am active in several functions there. My favorite function is the work of the specialist groups in Carinthia, where you can achieve a lot locally.

Does what the Chamber of Commerce does and implements in the trade associations work well?
There's always more to do, so there's no question about that. We as the green economy have a different vision of economic activity per se. In other words, we don't want to go back, but we have a clear focus on the future. And if we can't reduce the main problem, which in my view is global warming, then the other crises will of course become too much for us at some point.

What role can the social partners play? To what extent can they exert influence?
In my view, the influence is already extremely great. But at the moment, of course, there is always lobbying for fossil fuels. And you can also see that within the Chamber of Commerce. So, just because we're putting out a nice green brochure now doesn't mean that I've understood the transformation. There's no real direction, we don't have a lighthouse - which of course doesn't inspire confidence in the population. We certainly won't get to grips with the problem that way.

In your opinion, what works well at the Chamber of Commerce and what could be improved?
The work towards the members, especially when it comes to legal issues, or the start-up service are positive examples. These are all things that the Chamber of Commerce does very, very well. And members also feel very well looked after there. Then there is the political part. In the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce, this is the economic parliament and, let's put it this way, cooperation there is difficult. There is almost no ability to discuss things anymore.

 Is this due to the overwhelming power of the Economic Association or is it due to the representatives per se?
I think it's partly because the Economic Association is so strong. But you have to look at the 70 percent figure in a more differentiated way. If you scratch the result a little, it's no longer quite so true. 2020 was a so-called peace election. That sounds so wonderful - a compliment to PR. But what's behind it? In reality, it's a shuffling of a list of voters that is submitted in the name of the Wirtschaftsbund, but where the mandates are only distributed to the other parliamentary groups afterwards.

If you take out one positive aspect, why should the entrepreneurs, the members, go to the polls? What can they achieve?
The more people go to the polls and really make their voices heard, the more binding the path that the Chamber of Commerce will ultimately have to take. Because every list that practically runs for office stands for something, has a certain program, wants to achieve certain goals.

What is your opinion on multiple memberships in different sectors?
We have a different approach to this in general. We stand for a much leaner Chamber of Commerce that doesn't need a large number of committees. You can take inspiration from other very successful chambers of commerce. We know the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce as a very positive example, which can offer the same services with a fraction of the income.

What does the Carinthian economy need in the future in order to flourish again?
At the moment, it seems to me that there is no real plan. The best example is this tiresome wind power discussion. I'm not a huge supporter of wind power either, but it's the least of all evils. In other words, the economy and society in Carinthia need energy. I don't think any of us are really prepared to say that we want to sacrifice quality of life, comfort and so on.

One topic that will soon become topical in the economy is the Koralm Railway. How do you see this project?
It is a threat and an opportunity, as with everything in life. On the one hand, our tourism industry can benefit greatly from it, as can the economy. Styria doesn't really have a beautiful lake. However, there is of course also a risk. We still have this brain drain, where we lose a lot of skilled workers during their training in Austria or even abroad.

Should Carinthia, and Carinthian companies in particular, specialize more or offer everything? Is there a middle way or how do you see it?
The economy in Carinthia has always had a small structure. This means that we have some leading companies, but also such a diversity on our globe that certain things cannot be produced economically. I am a convinced European and believe that we must have a shared economy in order to be able to further expand or maintain our prosperity.

EPUs make up 60 percent of Carinthian businesses. What are the challenges there?
From my point of view, you always want to do everything yourself. But at some point you have to create this mindset in your head: I have a certain core topic that I am really, really good at. And that's usually the driving force behind why you became self-employed in the first place. And other things that I don't enjoy or are boring, I can outsource and don't need to have a guilty conscience.

Why should Carinthian entrepreneurs now vote for the representatives of the Green Economy?
Every candidate on our list really wants to change something for their sector and make a difference. That is the basis of all our work. And we also agree that we don't want to do this practically against nature, but with nature. In other words, we see business as a symbiosis of economy and ecology. In other words, not doing business at the expense of nature and the environment.