Green Party Confronted with Populism Accusation by ÖVP

Before the special session of the National Council on Wednesday, the Greens are demanding answers regarding current infrastructure projects. Austria has one of the densest highway networks in Europe, but the government apparently still thinks of more, lamented club chairwoman Leonore Gewessler at a press conference on Tuesday. New roads would attract traffic, endanger nature, and cause high costs. The ÖVP emphasized the importance of the projects and accused the Greens of populism.

Greens with Questions for Hanke

The Greens requested the special session, among other things, because of the planned Lobau tunnel. They have questions primarily for Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ). He should have already communicated further construction projects but has not done so. It is about "decisions that really have far-reaching consequences," said Gewessler: "Why are these plans not public and transparent?"

"The construction program is currently being evaluated," noted ÖVP transport spokesperson Joachim Schnabel on Tuesday. It is a legacy of the previous government, in which Gewessler was responsible for transport. The construction program should now be established "based on facts."

The Asfinag construction program should have been available by October 15, according to Gewessler. Now they are demanding answers from Hanke. Besides the Lobau, "demolition excavators" also threaten other places. The people on site would be "very concretely affected," and for the priorities in road construction, the Green leader lacks "any understanding."

"We Don't Tear Down Nature"

The ÖVP accused the Greens at a press conference of spreading fairy tales and acting populistically. No tax money flows into Asfinag; it is financed through toll revenues, Schnabel and finance spokesperson Andreas Ottenschläger explained. As a former minister responsible for this, Gewessler should actually know this. It is wrong to claim that billions could be invested in other areas "if one of these projects were not built," said Ottenschläger.

Schnabel emphasized that construction projects like the Lobau highway and the expansion of the Styrian A9 are important and environmentally friendly. "We don't tear down nature," he commented on the discussion about the Lobau tunnel. It will be located 60 meters underground - so the Gurk Cathedral would fit in between, illustrated the transport spokesperson. The traffic jam on the A23 over the weekend, which caused up to four hours of waiting time, showed that bypasses are needed in Vienna. Traffic jams also produce higher CO2 emissions and economic damage.

FPÖ Criticizes Greens and ÖVP

The Freedom Party criticized both the Greens and the ÖVP. The position of the "car driver-hostile Greens" and their "high priestess of climate communism Gewessler" is well known anyway. However, the ÖVP is now engaging in "political abandonment," said Secretary General Christian Hafenecker in a statement. After all, they "elevated Gewessler to the government bench" and at the end of the black-green coalition rejected a ministerial indictment against her. The S1 gap closure including the Lobau tunnel must be built in any case, as well as "all other arbitrarily stopped road construction projects."

(APA/Red)

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