On Saturday, the SPÖ accused the turquoise-green government of being haphazard and inactive when it came to securing Austria’s energy supply. That is roughly the reason why the fiber manufacturer Lenzing had to reduce its production in the south of Burgenland and send employees on short-time work. The government has blocked any form of market intervention at European level, says SPÖ business spokesman Christoph Matznetter.
In particular, the responsible ministers Martin Kocher, Magnus Brunner (both ÖVP) and minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) were silent during the summer. “If this government had already issued the guidelines before the summer after the energy cost subsidy law was passed, the companies could apply and keep production going,” Matznetter said at a news conference.
He was referring, among other things, to the fiber manufacturer Lenzing in the south of Burgenland, which – as reported – stopped production due to high energy prices. The SPÖ also accuses the government of failing or failing to comply with the announced “electricity price brake” and the Renewable Energy Extension Act. According to SPÖ energy spokesman Alois Schroll, the latter was decided on July 7, 2021, but the regulations are still missing today.
“Deadly Condition”
Nor has the government presented a strategy for responding to further increases in gas prices. The passivity is “life-threatening, even for a state ship,” Matznetter criticized.
Sachslehner: “Party-political lies”
ÖVP Secretary-General Laura Sachslehner has already responded to the allegations. She accused the SPÖ of “partisan politically motivated lies” to distract from its own failure. ÖGB chairman Wolfgang Katzian once again called for the price of electricity to be decoupled from the price of gas.
The proposals of the European Commission, eg B. Redistribution of energy gains and savings of electricity are “inadequate and disappointing”. The Chamber of Labor (AK) has made a similar statement. Due to maintenance work, no gas currently flows through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1. The SPÖ fears that the gas price could rise again as a result. In fact, the markets barely reacted after the last stop.
Source: Krone
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