Tyrolean Green boss: Karner’s asylum course “unbearable”

The course of Karner was “emotionally very stressful for me. I am sure that this is also the case for the members of the government,” said Mair in the APA interview and demanded a “change of course”. The ÖVP, as the coalition partner of the Greens, must now “deliver” on some issues, he demanded and criticized the increasing ÖVP “going it alone”.

In ÖVP responsibility “does not go much further”

Where the ÖVP is responsible, “not much further” said Mair, while a lot is happening in those areas for which the federal Greens are responsible. Especially politics Karners is a thorn in the side of the Tyrolean Greens frontman. “It’s really unbearable when the interior minister sends people fleeing to Innsbruck for interviews with directions in their hands and they then stay here without accommodation. It’s very distressing to see that,” Mair sharply criticized the department head. The ministry accepts that “people sleep in underpasses and at the train station – in the hope that the people fleeing will then continue on to other European countries such as Germany.” “I don’t think that’s humane. Austria can do better. It needs a course correction in the direction of humanity,” said the Greens’ top politician. He and the Greens, on the other hand, would advocate that people are “properly accommodated” even if they do not fall under the right to asylum. You simply have a “more human approach” here.

The People’s Party’s veto on Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen also annoys Mair: “The former European party ÖVP not only betrays the European idea with its Schengen veto. It also harms Austrian interests. But it will only notice that again when if there are no Romanian 24-hour carers.” In the end, only the FPÖ would benefit from all these ÖVP accents on the asylum and migration question, Mair was convinced and referred to the latest polls: “At some point the ÖVP has to ask itself which values ​​it wants to orientate itself on. Nobody needs a second liberal party.” Mair didn’t see that the Greens in the federal coalition weren’t flying the flag enough on these issues. For his party, it’s about “clearly naming responsibilities,” the Tyrolean politician insisted on a clear demarcation from the ÖVP where necessary.

Mair called for more support from Austria for the civilian population in Ukraine. From Tyrol, for example, “so far only one fire truck has made it into the country, which is attacked every day.” “I also expect more support from the federal government. Austria could offer much more for the civilian population than before,” the club chairman demanded in the state parliament, naming support for the communication infrastructure or mobility.

Despite various serious upheavals in the coalition, Mair saw no point in an early National Council election. Voting new or early has only brought about something in the rarest of cases – this can also be seen in the new black-red state government in Tyrol, which replaced black-green after the state elections, the club chairman could not resist a state political tip. There has been a de facto standstill in the state since July. Turquoise-green in the waistband is undoubtedly “under pressure”. You have to work hard now and get results at the government meeting in January. In any case, the ÖVP must move on important issues.

For Mair, the coalition’s controversial climate protection law is at the forefront. Here he accused the federal ÖVP of a momentary “blockade”. Such a law is important – with “binding emission limits”. “Clear obligations are needed for all local authorities, especially for the federal states and municipalities,” Mair urged the implementation of a Green demand, which the ÖVP is very critical of. Mair again justified the importance of an obligation for the federal states with an example from Tyrol: Because not only is the ÖVP currently blocking a climate protection law in the federal government, but the black party friends in Tyrol would also want to further expand the gas pipeline network. “Here, the People’s Party is clearly lobbying for the fossils, and that’s how it should be called,” urged the Greens politician.

The state Greens saw Mair well positioned in their new opposition role. While the black and red hardly take any initiatives and are more concerned with “personnel matters such as supervisory board positions, sideline jobs by government members or overly long vacations by former government members in civil servant positions”, the Greens would provide accents. For example, on the subject of abortion, it was shown “that we are driving the state government.”

Source: Nachrichten