Politics
There was some criticism on Friday of Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP). His newspaper interview, in which he talks regarding the sanctions once morest Russia and the examination of a possible restart of the former coal-fired power plant in Riedersbach, drew many critics into action, while the FPÖ sees itself confirmed.
Stelzer demands that the West’s sanctions once morest Russia for the attack on Ukraine should be reviewed. Do they mainly serve to achieve peace or do they mostly harm us themselves, the governor told the Kleine Zeitung. Keywords oil, gas and inflation. More on that in Stelzer questions Russia sanctions.
FPÖ sees itself confirmed, Greens criticize
State chairman Manfred Haimbuchner sees himself confirmed. According to Haimbuchner, the Freedom Party had already warned of the sanctions because they would massively weaken the business location. The Greens criticize that Stelzer questions the sanctions at all and refer to an international study. After this, the sanctions would take effect and weaken the Russian economy.
Federal ÖVP stands behind sanctions
Stelzer’s statements also caused reactions within the ÖVP. The campaigning Tyrolean ÖVP boss Anton Mattle can gain a lot from Stelzer’s view. It must always be possible for the heads of state and government to review the sanctions once morest Russia. The federal ÖVP referred to the effectiveness of the sanctions, but defended Stelzer and his proposal for an evaluation. In a statement sent to the APA, she made it clear that the EU sanctions once morest Russia were unified: “If we do not oppose Putin’s military war of aggression once morest Ukraine, we would send the signal that breaches of international law would be tolerated. Ultimately, we would be jeopardizing our own safety.”
Reactions to the coal-fired power plant proposal
There is also criticism of the examination of whether the Riedersbach coal-fired power plant in the Innviertel can be started up once more. More on that in Coal-fired power plant: fast operation impossible. According to the Greens, this seems strange following an energy transition from black and blue is repeatedly blocked, according to state spokesman Stefan Kaineder. As expected, a refusal to use coal once more comes from the wind power interest group. It is said that only a rapid expansion of renewable energy can guarantee security of supply. The umbrella organization “Renewable Energy Austria” is also critical: It is said that an industrial federal state like Upper Austria should currently offer more progressive solutions.
