After two years of war, Austria has still not managed to reduce gas imports from Russia, let alone get out. Many see the reason for this as the government’s inaction and lack of unity.
A current NEOS investigation, which the “Krone” has received, shows that after two years of discussions, the Ministry of Climate Protection has still not seen the OMV-Gazprom contracts. The Pinks speak of an ÖVP blockade in an attempt to create a legal basis for access to the contracts.
“Pure lip service”
Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s (ÖVP) announcement to investigate whether there are possibilities to gain access to the contracts via the parliamentary route of a law “turns out to be pure lip service”, criticizes energy spokeswoman Karin Doppelbauer.
Others took action, but not Austria
The Green-led climate ministry has made a proposal on how to access gas supply contracts. However, no agreement could be reached on this with the ÖVP. According to the answer to the question, a review of the exit options from the contract between OMV and Gazprom has not been ordered either internally or externally. Austria has therefore remained passive in exploring options to terminate the contract, while other Western European countries have canceled their long-term supply contracts due to the 2022 delivery failure – or taken legal action against Gazprom.
Gazprom threatens to stop deliveries again
Currently, a court ruling could lead to seizure of payments and thus contribute to a new supply freeze by Gazprom. “The federal government is postponing the most important issue for Austria as a location. Since the start of the war, more than ten billion euros have flowed from Austria for Russian gas. The risk of a supply stop has increased enormously because Gazprom’s unilateral supply stop has legal consequences. At the same time, the federal government has failed to strengthen its independence from Russia, rapidly expand the gas infrastructure (WAG loop) and put enormous pressure on Germany to abolish the harmful gas tax,” the Pink MP explained.
Gas prices are rising again
“We have been putting pressure on the federal government for years to implement feasible diversification steps – from booking line capacity from Norway to expanding the WAG loop, there seems to be no consensus. There is still no binding timetable for implementation. The passivity of the federal government shows a lack of sense of responsibility. The citizens have to spoon this soup out again, because gas prices are now rising again due to the uncertainties.”
Closing requires several steps
To safeguard Austria’s energy security and economic stability, several measures should be taken. Diversifying gas sources is crucial to reduce dependence on Russia and absorb future price shocks. In addition, the federal government should take action at European level to create, together with the EU, a legal basis for terminating problematic contracts and to get the EU’s internal energy market off the ground: the German gas tax must be combated much more actively and loudly, because it makes Austrian imports more expensive.
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.
