Schilling is “the best choice” for the party. He stated that his goal for June 9th was to retain the previous three mandates, despite headwinds for the Greens in times of war and crisis. He sharply criticized right-wing threats to European unification; he described FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl as “poison dwarfism”.
The fact that the 23-year-old eco-activist Schilling is to be elected number one on the list at the Green Party’s federal congress next Saturday in Graz is “great news” for climate protection and young people, said Kogler. With it, the Greens might be offensive even in difficult times. “It mobilizes within the Greens, but also externally,” he said happily. There is “sensational feedback”. The EU veteran Thomas Waitz, who is aiming for second place on the list, can also count on Kogler. “It’s clear that I support him,” he said. Waitz is “a big name in the European green movement.”
“Blame” from the right-wing populists
Kogler contrasted the “nattling” of European right-wing populists and extremists, who were only interested in problems rather than solutions, with the constructive European forces. As a Green, you can provide guidance on how environmental and climate protection can be reconciled with the economy and social security. It’s regarding developing European industry “into something great green” and continuing to fulfill people’s legitimate longing for intact nature.
Kogler sees enough potential alliance partners to make this a majority: “I’m still looking at whether the Social Democrats and the Conservatives can still afford it and say they don’t give a damn regarding nature.” He also includes the liberals here. But Kogler also warned of threats to European unity and attacks on liberal democracy. He cited Hungary as a negative example. “Without the tens of billions from the European Union, they would have been completely wiped out,” he said. Kogler quoted the former Hungarian minister Bálint Magyar from the “Democracy Institute” in Budapest, who even spoke of a “mafia state”.
In Austria, Kogler sees the FPÖ’s “Putin brothers” trapped in the cycle of “opposition bench – government bench – dock”. He described SPÖ leader Andreas Babler’s finding that Kickl not only didn’t like people, but also himself, as a very good description given the FPÖ leader’s “grabbing, poisonous hopping around.” “This is a poison dwarfing of party leaders,” he said regarding his appearances. Kickl, on the other hand, is not open to discussions: “In truth, this is a people’s chancellor who is running away from the people.”
“Sell yourself as a freedom fighter”
Kogler finds it striking that “right-wing extremists, as they have come out as such,” openly said what they wanted, regardless of whether it was the FPÖ, the AfD in Germany or Donald Trump in the USA. “They don’t want this kind of democracy anymore, they want something else, but they sell themselves as freedom fighters.”
According to Kogler: “Kickl and freedom, that’s something like the devil and holy water.” In contrast, only the Greens showed a really clear edge in Austria, he emphasized.
How all of this will affect the National Council election in the fall is unclear to the Green Party leader: “Now we have to start the election campaign, conduct the election debate, exchange arguments, and then we’ll see.” This applies to the European elections as well as to the national ballot. He cast doubt on current survey data. “And by the way, the world won’t end if one person has a few percent more and the other has a few percent less,” emphasized Kogler: “It would certainly be good if the Greens were strengthened – we will campaign for it. Because it “It’s always regarding majorities. Yes, that’s democracy.”
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