Urgent request from the Freedom Party in the Federal Council to Climate Protection Minister Gewessler
Vienna (PK) – The Lower Austrian FPÖ Federal Councilor Markus Leinfellner criticized the federal government’s transport policy by Climate Protection and Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler today Federal Council. He set one up Urgent request to the minister under the title “ÖVP-Green Federal Government as a commuter scare due to the increase in the price of private transport and the mismanagement of public transport”. In it, the representative pointed out that commuters were confronted with restrictions in train traffic on the one hand and massive increases in the price of private transport on the other. In their request, the Freedom Party wanted to know from the Climate Protection Minister what transport policy steps were planned that could have an impact on commuters. A number of the questions also related to topics within the area of responsibility of Finance Minister Magnus Brunner, such as the possibility of abolishing the commuter allowance or the diesel privilege.
Climate Protection Minister Gewessler emphasized that the federal government had agreed on transport and tax policy measures in order to achieve steering effects in the interests of climate protection. The abolition of the commuter allowance is not up for debate, but she believes a reform towards greater accuracy is necessary.
FPÖ fears “further burdens for commuters”
The black-green federal government will come to an end in the fall at the latest, and that’s a good thing, said Federal Councilor Markus Leinfellner (FPÖ/St). Climate Protection Minister Gewessler wants to make life as difficult as possible for Austrians with her “green climate communism”. He saw the ÖVP as partly responsible, as it tolerated and enabled “the Green Minister’s rampage”. While private transport was becoming more and more burdened, “nothing progressed” in public transport under Gewessler. Here one has to speak of a total failure on the part of the transport minister.
In his urgent request, Leinfellner pointed out that ÖBB had restricted the timetable in the eastern region for several weeks since February 12, 2024. For Leinfellner, responsibility for the “railway chaos” lies primarily with Federal Minister Gewessler. Commuters are the main victims of the transport minister’s poor transport policy decisions. Not only did the black-green federal government make private transport massively more expensive “for purely ideological reasons”, the transport minister also did not build or stop central infrastructure projects, thereby violating an existing mandate in the Federal Roads Act.
In his query, Leinfellner also criticized Finance Minister Magnus Brunner. At the World Climate Conference in Dubai, he agreed to a final declaration aimed at reducing fossil fuel subsidies. The consequences of this are, among other things, the end of the commuter allowance and the diesel privilege. However, the FPÖ fears that the green “Climate Communism Ministry” is planning “more horrors” that would also affect commuters, such as nationwide speed limits or a car-free day.
Gewessler: The Federal Government is committed to climate policy measures in transport
At the beginning of her answer to the question, Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler emphasized that the transport transition presented politicians with great responsibility. However, this requires a fact-based debate, which is unfortunately missing from the wording of the FPÖ’s urgent request. The minister said it contained a number of allegations. Regardless, she will endeavor to answer the questions asked of her objectively.
As far as the reduction in train connections at ÖBB is concerned, this is due to a decision by ÖBBpersonalverkehr AG, which is faced with a higher need for maintenance of the train material. 226 of 13,400 train connections would be canceled every week. According to ÖBB, the number of commuters affected is around 15,000 people, around 99% of whom could switch to alternative connections with only a small loss of time. The ÖBB is doing everything it can to minimize the inconveniences for commuters caused by the timetable thinning and to be able to lift the restrictions by Easter. In principle, no other transport companies are affected. The reasons for the difficulties at ÖBB can be attributed, among other things, to the problems in the supply chains, which are delaying the delivery of spare parts.
She will not advocate for the abolition of the CO2 tax because the entire federal government is committed to the goal of climate neutrality by 2040. The CO2 tax was implemented in a socially acceptable way. The NoVA was also designed in such a way that it achieves an ecological steering effect. It is not true that there are plans in your ministry for a car-free day, so that this would not result in any burdens for commuters. The Climate Protection Ministry also has no plans for nationwide speed restrictions. Gewessler emphasized that this federal government is not planning to end the current commuter allowance, but rather it is about greening it and increasing accuracy. On the question of the diesel privilege, Gewessler pointed out that Austria had fundamentally committed to eliminating subsidies that distort competition.
Federal councilors are conducting emotional debates about transport and climate policy
Federal Councilor Christoph Steiner (FPÖ/T) was dissatisfied with the Federal Minister’s response to the question. He wonders whether the Transport Minister even notices what is going on in Austria and the chaos that reigns not only at ÖBB, but in all areas of transport. Gewessler “really earned” the title of “top climate communist.” Their policies only create new burdens for the population. Above all, drivers would be burdened without achieving any climate policy goals, said Steiner indignantly. The Salzburg FPÖ Federal Councilor Marlies Doppler saw responsibility for the ÖBB’s problems among former SPÖ transport ministers. The Greens are actually a ban, command, regulation and burden party. Transport Minister Gewessler is acting “ideologically driven” and is planning to further burden the population, in particular further increases in energy prices. Rail customers are promised services and have to pay for them that they would not receive, criticized the Lower Austrian FPÖ Federal Councilor Michael Bernard. Andreas Spanring (FPÖ/N) also joined in the criticism of the Transport Minister. By failing to implement road construction projects, they are exacerbating traffic problems in the regions.
Markus Stotter, ÖVP Federal Councilor for Tyrol, saw responsibility for failures in the transport sector with the FPÖ, which had made or continues to make transport policy decisions at the federal and state levels, the consequences of which we are now dealing with. The current federal government is acting and implementing forward-looking transport projects, especially in the expansion of rail. Stotter rejected area-wide speed limits, but emphasized that in local areas a speed limit of 30 makes sense in many cases in order to increase traffic safety. The Styrian ÖVP Federal Councilor Günther Ruprecht saw the climate ticket as a great success and praised the massive expansion of public transport. In any case, abolishing the commuter allowance is not up for debate for the ÖVP, emphasized the Federal Council. It is important to continue investing in the expansion of infrastructure and public transport as well as in research into alternative energy sources.
The Tyrolean SPÖ Federal Councilor Daniel Schmid saw a threat to “German conditions” in train traffic. The reasons for the problems are varied. There is a severe shortage of staff at ÖBB. One can certainly criticize the fact that the Transport Minister did not react appropriately to a foreseeable development and massively expanded the ÖBB’s services without ensuring the appropriate framework conditions. According to Schmid, the ÖBB has been “run to pieces” for a long time. The question of political responsibility certainly arises here, but this does not concern Transport Minister Gewessler alone. Schmid said that FPÖ transport politicians are also responsible for making some wrong decisions from which the ÖBB is now suffering. Horst Schachner (SPÖ/St) said that ÖBB was faced with the problem that expectations of it had increased, but it did not have the staff and resources to meet them. It is important to promote apprentice training and to offer railway staff better conditions. The expansion of the road network will also be essential in order to be able to cope with the number of commuters.
Federal Councilor Adi Gross (Greens/V) criticized the style of the FPÖ speakers, who said they would dish out plenty but could not take criticism. The FPÖ fundamentally ignores the impending climate catastrophe that the world is heading towards. Instead of thinking about it, she wants to reverse climate protection measures in a populist manner. Under the guise of protecting commuters, the Freedom Party would appear as an “SUV party”. For Gross, it is also a social question that the costs of climate protection measures are borne by those responsible. The federal government’s transport policy takes this into account. (Federal Council conclusion) sox
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