“He fights for everyone!” – Climate judgment gives hope to Austrians in wheelchairs

For the first time, a country was convicted by the European Court of Human Rights for failing to protect the climate.

Lawsuit against 2000 seniors
The court in Strasbourg convicted Switzerland of violating the human rights convention after a trial against 2,000 seniors. This also has consequences for the lawsuit filed by an Austrian.

Lower Austrian suffers from multiple sclerosis
Mex M. (43) from Waldviertel in Lower Austria suffers from multiple sclerosis. He also complained to Austria because: When it is warmer than 25 degrees, his nerve conduction speed decreases and he has to use a wheelchair. At temperatures above 30 degrees he can no longer push it himself. He sued Austria for lack of climate protection, but the Constitutional Court dismissed the lawsuit. Now he’s trying it in Strasbourg. His case will be heard in the coming months.

“He fights for everyone!”
Unlike the seniors in Switzerland, he is not suing as an association, but as an individual. The biggest difference: Mex M. suffers significantly more because he is already in a wheelchair and there are already direct consequences of global warming. It’s not about the money for him. The Lower Austrian did not ask for any money. “He wants to bring about systemic change,” explains his lawyer Michaela Krömer. “He fights for everyone!” If Mex M. wins, Austria will commit to introducing a climate protection law.

On Tuesday, the court rejected a decision on the climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youth against 32 countries. According to the reasoning, the claimants have not exhausted the legal process in their home country. The climate lawsuit of a former French mayor was also dismissed.