After the National Council elections, the Greens face a new start in opposition. Secretary General Olga Voglauer talks to Jürgen Winterleitner about green successes, mistakes and the future of the party in a krone.tv conversation. Voglauer says, “When you look back, you always realize where you were smarter today.”
According to Voglauer, the Greens’ biggest achievements include the climate ticket, the abolition of cold progress and the introduction of freedom of information. The expansion of renewable energy sources and future plastic deposition were also milestones: “These are paradigm shifts that will have an impact far beyond our time in government.”
Failures and criticism
Looking back, the party should have emphasized the threats of climate change more, Voglauer said. She mainly sees errors in communication: “We should have made it clearer earlier and more clearly that climate protection is not a matter of ideology, but a matter of social justice.” Voglauer: “It’s like coming home and telling my children lies that the future will be successful. But the natural disasters that happen here are completely normal. I don’t lie to my children and we shouldn’t lie to the Austrian people either.”
Environment Minister Gewessler’s decision to approve the EU renaturation law without consulting the ÖVP also caused tensions. Nevertheless, Voglauer defended this as “the right step for nature conservation.”
Challenges in the opposition
Voglauer is critical of the current political landscape. According to her, a European shift to the right and increasing populist trends make the Greens’ work more difficult: “Natural laws do not follow party logic. The responsibility of the Greens remains to strengthen the rule of law and democracy.”
Future of the Greens
In the opposition, the party wants to emphasize social justice and climate protection. “Climate protection is the most urgent issue of our time. It’s about preventing the worst before it’s too late,” Voglauer emphasizes. The party plans to recalibrate its content during the federal congress in the summer of 2024. It is still unclear who will succeed Werner Kogler as party leader. According to party leader Kogler in Thursday’s ZiB2 interview, the choices include Leonore Gewessler, Alma Zadic and Stefan Kaineder.
Looking for the next government
Voglauer is calm about the Greens being excluded from the current exploratory talks. However, she emphasized that constitutional majorities would hardly be possible without the Greens: “The hand remains outstretched when it comes to jointly implementing important reforms.”
With a positive view of previous successes and clear objectives for the future, the party wants to regain trust and further shape politics as an opposition party.
Join the discussion: What do you think of the Greens’ policies so far and their strategy for the future? What issues do you think the party should tackle as a priority? Share your thoughts in the comments!
You can watch the entire interview in the video above.
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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.
