If you divide people into normal and not normal, “then you do one thing above all, namely the business of the populists,” Gewessler told the ÖVP. Still, she believes the coalition will hold.
The ÖVP had recently tried to position itself in the “centre” in the primary campaign, straining the term “normal” – for which, like other parties, the Federal President had to be scolded. Gewessler thinks it is “important that the Federal President points this out,” and Green Party leader Werner Kogler also took up the matter to say: “Caution, there is a danger if you start dividing people into normal and not normal, in right and wrong. Because when you do that, you do one thing above all, namely the business of the populists,” said Gewessler. “They benefit when you start dividing people, when you sow resentment, when you talk a lot about problems but never offer any solutions – then you do the business of the populists.”
“I think this equality is a no-go”
Gewessler was annoyed that the chancellor then lumped climate glue, identitarians and Islamist hate preachers together in his definition of “not normal”: “To be honest, I think this equality that’s happening is a no-go.” , emphasized the Green Deputy Party leader. “When you talk about terrorism, terrorism kills people. When you talk about hate preachers, that divides a society. When you talk about right-wing extremism, then we’re talking about people who hoard Nazi songbooks.” On the other hand, there are activists “who work for a good life for everyone, for a good future – and who create a traffic jam”. She considers this equation “really not expedient”.
The climate protection minister admitted that she understands that those who are stuck in traffic because of climate activists find this “annoying”. “But I think we should also make sure that we don’t lose our sense of proportion during the debate,” because Gewessler is convinced that “a strong democracy can withstand civil disobedience.” If it goes beyond that, you already have “all options” legally.
“Playing down the crisis” bothers Gewessler
What “disturbed” you in the debate over the past few weeks “is this downplaying of the climate crisis,” said Gewessler. If you follow the news, it becomes very clear “what’s at stake,” she stressed. “Greece is on fire. There’s no other way to put it.” In this country it was so hot in the cities “that we can no longer sleep, that the apartments no longer cool down,” she noted. “The people with the little house on Lake Attersee, with the chalet in the mountains or with the penthouse in Vienna, where the air conditioning runs all day, they will do well in 20 years. But the many people in municipal housing, the Hacklerin on the construction site and the farmers who fear for their livelihoods, they need ambitious climate protection policies and I think they feel that very strongly right now.” Everyone – in the federal government, federal states, municipalities – is required to take measures together. Heat waves, mudslides or hailstones the size of the palm of your hand: “This is a wake-up call for action. For everyone.”
In the area of climate protection, of all things, some projects have been on hold for months or even years: there has been no climate protection law for more than 900 days. Although she hasn’t gotten through the ÖVP so far, Gewessler continues: “Yes, we will also get this law on the ground and implement it in this legislative period.” The minister attributes the fact that the Renewable Heat Act, which is intended to phase out gas and oil heating, to nothing so far, to the SPÖ – which ultimately blocked two-thirds of the matter. Of course, the SPÖ criticizes that there were no real negotiation dates for the project. “As I said, there was a time when the SPÖ refused the talks. It’s over now, so it’s all the more important that they start again now,” said Gewessler. There had already been an appointment at parliamentary level on the constitutional laws as a whole.
“Then it was concreted again”
Gewessler has not yet written off the soil protection strategy that was postponed due to disagreement between the coalition partners. “We talked a lot about soil protection in Austria, but when it came down to making concrete decisions, then concrete started to pour again.” That is why it is important to have binding targets in the strategy, argued the minister. “Norbert Totschnig (Minister of Agriculture, ÖVP) is now required to submit a proposal that redeems that.” But she is confident that this will be possible by autumn.
Another construction site is the National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP). CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 48 percent by 2030 compared to 2005, but the plan presented so far only envisages a 35 percent reduction. In order to close this gap as broadly as possible, Gewessler is calling on interest groups and civil society to submit proposals by the end of August. “This consultation is really important to me because it’s about fundamental decisions.”
“This needs my full attention”
Despite all the problems, Gewessler is convinced that it is worthwhile for the Greens to endure the legislative period with the ÖVP to the end: “Yes, of course, because we see that the Greens have made great strides in climate protection in this government over the last three and a half years , but also in many other areas, made a huge difference.” And they still have a lot planned for the election last year, referring to the Freedom of Information Act and financial equalization, for example.
Regarding media speculation that she could stand for the Greens as the top candidate in the EU elections in a year, Gewessler said: “As a minister, I still have a lot to do. That needs my full attention,” she referred to the climate protection law. “I think everything else is a summer slump debate.”
“The Greens make the difference”
Gewessler left open whether it would be easier with the ÖVP or the SPÖ – should the Greens be given the opportunity to govern again after the National Council elections. The question does not arise in this way, because “the Greens make the difference in a coalition, especially when it comes to climate protection,” she said confidently. For the Greens, the SPÖ has apparently not gotten rid of its reputation as a “party of concrete and petrol” even with its new chairman: “The statements by Andreas Babler certainly made people sit up and take notice. But then you also see: Tempo 100, immediately rowed back from the Burgenland. Lobau tunnel, immediately rowed back from Vienna. So nothing has changed in the position of the SPÖ.”
If the Greens end up on the opposition bench after the National Council elections, they can obviously continue to count on Gewessler: “I’m convinced that the Greens need to be in government for climate protection. But as long as the Greens need me and I can make a good contribution, I’ll do it I do this with great conviction, in whatever function – also as Werner Kogler’s deputy in his team,” she said in response to a question.
