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Green Party Requests Special Session on Lobau Tunnel

Grünen-Klubobfrau Gewessler fordert Informationen zum Lobautunnel.
Grünen-Klubobfrau Gewessler fordert Informationen zum Lobautunnel. ©APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER
The Greens are requesting a special session of the National Council due to the planned Lobau tunnel. The session will take place on Wednesday, October 22.

Green Party Chairwoman Leonore Gewessler addresses Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) in a statement with the question: "Where else do you want to bring in the demolition excavators?" Gewessler criticizes that the ministry stubbornly remains silent about the new construction program of Asfinag, even though it should have been presented by October 15.

Greens criticize "Billions for environmental destruction, but cuts for the people"

While Hanke celebrates the "concreting" of the Lobau, the further plans apparently remain secret, writes Gewessler. It is completely unclear, for example, how things will proceed with the S34 near St. Pölten, which is supposed to be "concreted" through fertile fields and orchards. There is also no information on the S37 - "a huge transit highway in Carinthia." "Billions for environmental destruction, but cuts for the people" is the motto of the federal government, Gewessler stated. Whenever it comes to meaningful support, the money is missing: "But there is enough for the demolition excavator in the nature reserve."

Criticism of the Greens has already come from the ÖVP. It is not the taxpayers who finance the highway projects, but the drivers, explained transport spokesperson Joachim Schnabel. This is because the highways and expressways are maintained with the revenues from tolls and vignettes. In addition to the "urgent inquiry" or "urgent motion" of the Greens, the FPÖ's request for a committee of inquiry into the Pilnacek case will also be called at the special session. This means the committee will be set up as early as the middle of next week, and the work in the committee can begin earlier than expected. It was originally expected that the committee could only be finalized in the November plenary session.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.

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