Our “Krone” interns asked Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) to talk about cannabis, the phasing out of gas and a lack of confidence.
„krone“:Three years ago you talked about legalizing cannabis by 2024. The Constitutional Court rejected the request. Is there a chance that THC will become legal?
Werner Kogler: In this matter we are not only dealing with the Constitutional Court. Science is also constantly evolving and there are always new discoveries. Ultimately, this is always a balancing act. From a green point of view, it would make sense if the medical field of application could be expanded. That could be the next step.
In 2019 you ruled out a coalition between the ÖVP and the Greens. Have you ever regretted joining this coalition?
The quote you were referring to was probably, “It’s not going to work with this turquoise gang of snobs.” But I also said that it is never too late to return and that we will investigate if necessary. After the election, there were two election winners – the Greens and the ÖVP – who, although very different, tried something new together. Compromises are necessary in any coalition, they are part of democracy. When I look back over the past two years, I see that as a smaller partner we have carried out huge projects: in the area of climate protection, the independence and strengthening of the judiciary, the eco-social tax reform, but also in the social area. It wasn’t always easy, that’s true. But we didn’t go into government to make things easy for ourselves.
Do you see no alternative to the coalition?
The ÖVP has more or less hinted at negotiations with the FPÖ. The alternative to turquoise-green would have been another variation of turquoise-blue. In the end, it would have been the same constellation and policy as before. And that to Ibiza. You would then ask me today: why were you so irresponsible back then and let it happen? Justly!
By 2030 there should be only renewable electricity in Austria. Do you think the gas crisis will make the target unrealistic?
No, it is legal, there are the framework specifications and the necessary financing programs for the switch to renewable electricity. This is needed now more than ever – we can see that we need to get out of our dependence on fossil fuels. But it is true: we must act pragmatically in the short term in the gas crisis and use every kilowatt hour for our households, industry and jobs. For example, by upgrading the Mellach power station and heating it with coal. It’s like the fire brigade: when it’s really needed, it’s called in. We don’t need it any better. In the medium to long term, however, one thing is absolutely clear: the way is to go straight to renewable energy, only then can we become independent and protect the climate.
Mr. Kogler, can we still trust politicians?
I agree, trust has been broken here and there. And admittedly, there are certainly one or two things that could be improved when it comes to communication. For example, in the measures to absorb social inflation. We negotiated the whole thing in late spring and made it public in mid-June. But the first measure will only come into effect at the beginning of August. This is a timing difference that doesn’t immediately make sense to everyone and we should have explained it better.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
