The Austrian Greens’ top candidate in the EU elections, Lena Schilling, wants to achieve “500,000 votes for climate protection” on June 9 – that would be a similar number to the Greens in the 2019 EU elections. She mentioned abandoning fossil fuels energy, the mobility transition and adaptation to climate change, while maintaining social justice, as its priorities.
In the 2019 EU elections, the Greens won 532,193 votes, which meant a 14.1 percent share of the vote. Initially, the local Greens had two mandates, and after the number of seats allocated to Austria was increased from 18 to 19, they then had three. The Greens recently stated that their goal was to maintain this number.
Schilling: “Compromises always hurt”
Schilling explained in the ORF press hour on Sunday that she had been taking to the streets for years to voice her concerns, and now that she wanted to represent them in parliament, Schilling defended her change in role. She will not give up her ideals, but at the same time she will also fight for compromises, “and compromises always hurt,” she said in response to criticism from climate activists. Once again she criticized “Fridays For Future” founder Greta Thunberg and her statements about Israel and Palestine. Importantly, “The climate crisis will not abate if the climate movement is weakened.”
Commented on the faux pas towards the ORF satirist
When asked about her youth and her faux pas to ORF satirist Peter Klien, in which she put Norway in the EU on the day of her freestyle for the Greens, Schilling said: “I can’t promise, but it may be that not mine will have been the last mistake.” She has long been immersed in EU issues and has spoken to experts and participated in briefings in recent months.
ÖVP is “delayed in many areas”
Regarding the accusations of a lack of assertiveness among the Greens in the Austrian federal government, Schilling referred to the actions of the main coalition partner. It is the ÖVP that has “slowed down in many areas”. And the fact that it is so difficult for Austria to break its dependence on Russian natural gas is due to the ‘gag agreements’ concluded under Sebastian Kurz as Chancellor.
As an EU representative, Schilling wants to travel a lot by train
According to her, an important goal is that environmentally friendly mobility should become cheaper. The Greens want to achieve this, among other things, through cheap rail fares for connections between the capitals of the Union. A maximum of ten cents per kilometer may be charged. Schilling said she last flew five or six years ago and plans to travel by train as much as possible as an EU representative.
The top candidate defended the fact that the Greens voted against the majority of points in the EU asylum and migration pact. Housing people in large camps at the Union’s external borders will not be the solution. There is also nothing in the pact about people drowning in the Mediterranean. What is needed is an orderly distribution mechanism, fast, fair procedures, humanity and the possibility of orderly migration.
Schilling remained vague about whether climate refugees should have the right to asylum. In any case, we must tackle the problem and fight the climate crisis sustainably so that people are not forced to leave their homes. Because: “If islands sink, where should people go?”
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.
