“This could be a decade for the Greens”

WORLD: Ms. Maurer, you were an activist for years. You were banned from the National Council for 18 months because you threw notes from the stands and chanted slogans. Today you are one of the pillars of the black-green coalition. How does it work?

Sigrid Maurer: The path from activist to green club leader (group leader, ed.) was a natural development. In both cases, it's about changing things and bringing them to the ground.

WORLD: Do you long for the freedom of the past?

Mason: No. But it was good that this time existed. I learned a lot back then that helps me today.

WORLD: What?

Maurer: How important it is to maintain the ability to talk to different people in different positions. Otherwise, as chairwoman of the Austrian Students' Union, I would not have brought any resolutions together. Creating a balance of interests - that is the core of politics.

WORLD: Your government is the first black-green coalition at national level in Europe. It is seen by many as a test. Is that a burden?

Mason: On the contrary. Other European Greens are looking closely at our project, especially the German Greens. It's about the question: How do you form a coalition with another party that is so far away? How do you manage to keep working together? The German Greens are in a quite challenging coalition with the FDP.

WORLD: The Greens are on the rise everywhere in Europe. Can this be permanent?

Maurer: It could be a decade for the Greens. At least I hope so. The Greens are a fairly young party that is not trapped in encrusted interest groups. We have also shown that we can push through changes, work seriously and guarantee stability. Coping with the climate crisis is the topic today. What used to be a green vision has now become a reason of state. In the wake of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, even the most conservative politicians have now understood that the energy transition and independence from fossil fuels is extremely necessary.

WORLD: But first of all, all European governments are increasingly relying on fossil fuels again - and green government parties have to swallow a few bucks.

Maurer: Nobody is happy when we have to think about putting a coal-fired power plant back into operation in order to be prepared in the event that Russia turns off the gas supply. But on this issue we Greens are proving how seriously we deal with government responsibility. It is about helping Ukraine in this brutal war of aggression by Russia. And if that means supporting fossil fuels such as coal for a transition phase because the gas shortage is there, then that's the right way to go.

WORLD: Was the coalition with the ÖVP worth it for the Greens?

Maurer: I have no doubts about that. We were able to push through a lot and decided on things that were initially not thought possible for this coalition.

WORLD: Which ones?

Maurer: For example, the 'climate ticket', which allows you to use all public transport in our country for a fixed price. With the eco-social tax reform, we have also initiated a paradigm shift: harmful environmental behavior gets a fair price and environmentally friendly behavior is rewarded with a climate bonus. We have also pushed through an expansion law for renewable energies and a far-reaching care reform.

WORLD: Wouldn't the Social Democrats (SPÖ) be a better partner for the Greens than the conservative ÖVP?

Maurer: It depends. When it comes to dealing with minorities, in education policy and in gender policy, we are certainly closer to the social democrats. On the other hand, a lot of persuasion and pressure would be needed for the SPÖ to leave the path of concreting and petrol. I'm sure that when it comes to the core Green issue - climate protection - it wouldn't be any easier with the Social Democrats than with the Conservatives.

WORLD: What is your coalition doing to cushion the high energy prices?

Maurer: Weeks ago, we decided to put a brake on electricity costs. A fixed price is guaranteed for 80 percent of a household's average needs. We also pay energy vouchers to everyone, a school start fee, pensioners with small pensions receive up to 500 euros once, we are increasing the climate and family bonus, apprentices receive up to 1500 extra per year and people with low incomes can deduct more from the employee tax assessment.

WORLD: That's not enough for the SPÖ.

Maurer: With its criticism of the direct aid and immediate measures to compensate for the high energy prices, the SPÖ has partly arrived at Fake News. I'm disappointed about that. Of course, it is the opposition's job to criticize - but it should be constructive and based on facts. The SPÖ claims things that are simply wrong. She has finally arrived in the field of populism. We do social politics. We're getting rid of cold progression, which is really a creeping tax hike. And in the future we will automatically adjust social benefits to the rate of inflation - this is a reform of the century. The SPÖ has been demanding this for decades, but has not enforced it during the numerous government participations.

WORLD: In parts of the ÖVP, the Greens are still being blamed for overthrowing former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Maurer: At the time, we were concerned with the question of whether a chancellor who had been confronted with serious allegations of corruption was still fit to hold office. We denied that. We acted very responsibly and gave the coalition partner the opportunity to change chancellor. We are now working together with Chancellor Nehammer in a spirit of trust.

WORLD: But it was Kurz who formed the black-green coalition.

Maurer: I actually give him credit for this. But he disappointed the hopes of many people and the ÖVP. He relied on shrill flares and populism instead of seriousness, craftsmanship and responsibility. Kurz has not done the country any good.

WORLD: The former highest official in the Ministry of Finance, Thomas Schmid, now accuses Kurz of being personally involved in corruption. How do you rate that?

Maurer: It is now the turn of the independent courts. What we need is transparency and education. As part of our Green DNA, we will do everything in our power to help.