Wien-Energie-fiasco – Ludwig counters: “What should I have said?”

After the financial committee, the city senate then decided on the billions in loans that Wien Energie has received in order to continue to operate on the energy exchanges. The city alone allocated a total of 1.4 billion euros and the federal government provided a credit line of 2 billion.

The question about the release of 700 million euros in July
“The reason I released this 700 million on July 15 was the development in the energy market and the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was shut down for renovation,” said Ludwig. That is why the management of Wien Energie assumed at the time that prices would rise sharply again. The money was only called in at the end of August, because it hadn’t been necessary until then – “What exactly should I have told the public?” Ludwig dismissed the accusation that he wanted to hide the aid from Wien Energie.

Ludwig: The coalition partner has been informed
The coalition partner in Vienna was also informed about this. “In addition, I believe that I have acted in accordance with the city constitution, which is to inform the political decision-makers first – in this case it is the finance committee, the city senate and then the city council. In my opinion it is correct that, in accordance with the city constitution, political decision-makers are informed first and then the public and not the other way around.”

It was not possible to inform the members of the committees before their regular meeting. “The council is a collegial body. It cannot be that I accidentally come across a municipality and inform them, or I choose a municipality that I inform.”

“All major energy companies do it like this”
According to Ludwig, the city of Vienna had to put up a protective shield for Wien Energie because the Austrian government hadn’t, unlike other countries. “These are loans to fund the transactions on the power exchange, it’s not like the money is gone.” All major energy companies in Europe would do it this way. “That is also the reason why rescue packages, ranging in size from 10 billion to 100 billion, have been set up in almost all EU countries. The British made 40 billion, the Germans 100 billion.”

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called on national governments to set up such rescue packages for national energy companies. “Almost everyone did, except the Austrian federal government.”

All mayors in Austria have such emergency powers – “there will only be fewer who can release 700 million, because Vienna is not only a big city, but also an economically strong one”. Ludwig stressed that almost all of the deposits that required the loans have now been returned.

The decision of the city council is on September 21
After the finance committee has approved the loans for Wien Energie and the city senate on Tuesday, it will be the turn of the city council next Wednesday (September 21). “Because the discussion is already very objective, it is difficult to imagine – without wanting to prejudge the decision of the city council – that there will be another resolution here,” says Griebler.

According to Griebler, the fact that according to the city constitution the mayor’s decision must be submitted “immediately” to the municipal bodies should be interpreted as “that it must be carried out at the next regular meeting”. This is a ‘ten-year practice’ and is also regarded as such by the Viennese constitutional experts.