After about three years of the turquoise-green coalition, Austrian vice-chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) took stock of the government’s work. Despite all the differences of opinion with the ÖVP, a lot is happening, Kogler said in the “ZiB 2” interview on Thursday evening. He cited the climate ticket and ‘major steps in transparency’ as examples.
For example, the government should publish all commissioned studies from next year. In addition, the Court of Auditors may investigate anything without a compelling reason. At the same time, the Vice-Chancellor admitted that there was still a gap in the relevant transparency legislation. The abolition of official secrecy is made more difficult by municipalities and federal states. However, Kogler is confident that both the abolition and anti-corruption law could come in 2023.
Climate ticket “inflation dampening”
The politician sees the climate ticket introduced last year for almost all public transport in Austria as a further achievement. No government had ever attempted such a ticket before. It is an environmental, social and inflation-inhibiting measure.
The fact that Austria ranks 32nd in the climate protection index and receives a lot of criticism from climate protectors – as moderator Marie-Claire Zimmermann pointed out – does not see Kogler as a negative assessment of his own work. Many measures would only come into force with some delay and some opposition parties would delay on climate protection. “More needs to be done and faster (…)”, the vice-chancellor admits.
Kogler also thinks that more can be done, or that more solutions can be found when it comes to asylum issues. The refugees in tents, as is now the case in Spielfeld, would hurt him because it affected his home state (Styria, note). “They dismantled the quarters en masse, I find that reprehensible,” he said to the states that had not fulfilled their duty. However, he does not assign the blame to coalition partner ÖVP. He only wanted to take care of the registration of people.
Border fences don’t help
Fences at the borders would not or only partially help with the asylum request, Kogler said when asked by the moderator. Instead, he could envision other measures, such as well-trained people guarding the borders. Overall, the problem would be better resolved if Romania and Bulgaria joined the Schengen area. In principle, however, different approaches to Schengen are correct, says Kogler.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
