Andreas Wabl

Green veteran returns to his roots

Andreas Wabl with his Green colleagues Robert Mair and Notburga Damm in Großklein.

(Bild: Jürgen Fuchs)

Green veteran Andreas Wabl once began his political career in Großklein, Styria. Now Wabl is returning to his political roots in the local council elections. He is not the only well-known name to be found on the electoral lists.

Someone was ahead of his time: "In 1982, I started a wonderful project in Großklein," says the Green veteran Andreas Wabl. "We made a declaration with all merchants and innkeepers to do without aluminum cans and plastic bottles. That caused a stir. I was even invited to a German talk show." It was only 43 years later that the plastic deposit was introduced in Austria this year.

At that time, there was good cooperation with the ÖVP and SPÖ in Großklein and pioneering work was done on the subject of waste collection. "Before that, the waste was simply emptied into the Alte Saggau."

He entered the National Council in 1986
Wabl then joined the National Council in 1986 and was Climate Protection Commissioner under Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer in the noughties. "I only ever commuted to Vienna and only ever had a small apartment there." The children went to school in Großklein, his wife was a teacher here.

I only ever commuted to Vienna and only ever had a small apartment there.

Andreas Wabl über seine Zeit in Wien

Now Wabl is returning to his political roots in the local council elections and is running for third place on the Green Party list. His motivation is a case that has preoccupied Großklein for years: A former deputy mayor operated an earthworks company without the necessary permits, a local resident (Notburga Damm, number 2 in the Green Party) fought against this and was successful: the Constitutional Court revoked the subsequently granted land dedication.

Damm is still waiting for an apology. Wabl speaks of an "old wound", which is why he is supporting the Green top candidate Robert Mair in the election on March 23.

Other prominent names
There are other well-known names in Styria in positions off the top of the list. In Passail, for example, Iris Drexler, the new head of cabinet of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and wife of former provincial governor Christopher Drexler, is in 8th place - the ÖVP needs gains to enter the municipal council. In St. Stefan im Rosental, the former media entrepreneur and now Neos member of the National Council Veit Dengler is in second place on the pink list.