The SPÖ boss was in defense and attack mode in ORF. She had to comment on the billion-dollar slump in Vienna. She criticizes the Turquoise and the Greens.
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner in the summer talks. Just in an extremely delicate phase. Red Vienna’s Wien Energie currently needs up to ten billion from the federal government. A central theme. Rendi-Wagner had to swallow many unpleasant questions about ORF. She went into defense mode and attack mode. “Stop the government’s populist views,” she told moderator duo Tobias Pötzelsberger/Julia Schmuck when they complained that the group had innocently handled billions in taxes and should have sounded the alarm long ago.
In any case, Wien Energie is raising the rates and is now demanding up to ten billion from the federal government, so again taxpayers’ money. How does it work? Rendi-Wagner: “I trust Wien Energie. The huge price increases of the past 48 hours are the result of a European electricity market that no longer works. We have been warning about this for months and have argued for an end to the merit order principle. The government is doing nothing.” The government wants to exchange political currencies.
Inflation: “One-off payments not effective”
Inflation is also important: “One-off payments quickly lose their effectiveness. That way the prices don’t fall.” Excess profits from energy companies like Verbund should be taxed. “The Energy Management Act can be amended.” Fuel price brakes and inflation in general were also a problem. Caps are needed in many areas. The government is doing too little here. “I want effective measures to be taken. But one-time payments quickly lose their effectiveness. This does nothing to prevent price increases. Otherwise inflation will continue to rise.”
When it comes to climate, Rendi-Wagner is not very specific and tries to unite different points of view. For example, commuters with their current problems and effective measures for the near or medium term. “It is not enough to place a few wind turbines. I wish long-term, sustainable and rapid implementation options, also in the legal field,” she told Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). Headlines alone would not be enough.
Coalition: “ÖVP would not harm the opposition”
Rendi-Wagner has clearly led the way in polls for some time with her SPÖ. She does not want to commit herself to a traffic light coalition like her party colleague Hans Peter Doskozil, governor of Burgenland. “At least it wouldn’t hurt the ÖVP to finally join the opposition.” Sanctions against Russia, currently causing heated debate in Austria? Yes, they are necessary, but everyone should have been aware that the sanctions also affect the European economy, not just the Russians. If the sanctions stop working, you need to reassess. In general, she hopes not that the war will end militarily, but through negotiations
Source: Krone
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