Eva Hammerer:

“I will not give Vorarlberg to the arsonists

Eva Hammerer has been state spokesperson for the Vorarlberg Greens together with Daniel Zadra since June 2021.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Writer Robert Schneider spoke to Vorarlberg's Green Party leader Eva Hammerer about her career, Green values and the increasingly harsh political climate - the start of a new series of politician talks.

Robert Schneider: Eva Hammerer, I ask you like a child: explain "green" to me.
Eva Hammerer: For me, green means: reliable, clean and stable ...

Is it the politician talking now or is it still mom?
The more I've studied politics, the more I've realized that almost everything that seems everyday is political. What I eat, how I get around, what I buy, how our family life is organized and divided up. Do the boys help out around the house as much as the girls? Who looks after grandma, the house and the garden? Who has time off after work? These are basically highly political questions.

You are a lawyer by profession and a mother of four children. In the municipal council and mayoral elections in 2015, you stood as the lead candidate for the Harder Greens for the first time and were able to gain almost nine percentage points straight away. How has the color "green" changed since then? Isn't it all a bit washed out, faded?
I don't see it that way. When I started, the word "climate protection" wasn't even in the party manifesto. Daniel Zadra and I have just completed a long working process in which we developed a completely new program together with the Green base. The fact that grandparents are demonstrating in front of the Landestheater for the future of their grandchildren or children who have not yet been born is a huge change that would have been unthinkable in 2015.

Eva Hammerer and Robert Schneider in conversation on the shores of Lake Constance in Höchst.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

However, every party now has climate protection pinned to its lapel.
With the slight difference that it was the Greens who were instrumental in initiating this discussion and are consistently implementing honest climate protection. The main difference is that the Greens are thinking about climate protection in all areas and don't see it as a burden, but as an opportunity for a good future.

Is there something like a political awakening in your life?
That was at grammar school, lower school. We had good teachers who discussed environmental pollution back then. At home, it wasn't an issue at all. I naively thought to myself: Why aren't we doing anything about it? So I founded an environmental club in my spare time. We even had a clubhouse in the cellar of one of my friends. But then it soon became too stupid for everyone. I was deeply disappointed. That was my own little green movement. I think back on it fondly today.

So you were the gang leader?
Somehow it was always my role to stand at the front and make sure everything worked. It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm the eldest daughter and have two younger brothers. I had to take responsibility.

The main difference is that the Greens think about climate protection in all areas and don't see it as a burden, but as an opportunity for a good future.

Eva Hammerer

Not shy in front of people?
I'm not shy. I like people and I really enjoy talking to them. I speak my mind and will stand up front if the situation demands it. But pushing forward at all costs just to be seen, that would be embarrassing for me.

In spring, Germany's Green Party had to cancel its political Ash Wednesday in Biberach due to violent attacks. Do you have an explanation for this? Why is there so much anger towards politicians?
It certainly doesn't just affect the Greens, but it's true: Dealing with each other has become rougher. I see three phenomena that are intertwined. Firstly, the concept of deference to authority no longer works, which I welcome in itself. But this should not be confused with disrespect. Secondly, social media and the anonymity associated with it play a very big role and thirdly, there is simply so much injustice that makes people rightly angry and sad.

How do you deal with insults?
I try to categorize them. If I can't stand the fact that not everyone thinks I'm great, I can't do this job for a second. What gnaws at me are insults in my own environment, within the party, when I haven't done something well enough. My political low point was when a ready-made investigation rights package was overturned, which would have given the state of Vorarlberg the tools to set up an investigation committee. That would have been a milestone for democracy in this country. Milestone is not an expression at all.

I ask Eva Hammerer: How do you deal with personal hostility?
A very clever man once told me a nice parable: You're dragging yourself up the stairs with full shopping bags. Suddenly someone comes towards you and bumps into you. The bags tear. Everything rolls down the stairs. The milk is spilled, the eggs smashed. You get angry: "You idiot, can't you watch out?" He replies: "Sorry. I'm blind." At that moment, all blame falls away from you because the other person simply didn't see what they were doing. I often think of this parable. I also don't define myself as a person solely in terms of politics. That also helps me.

The "dual leadership" will also lead the Greens into the upcoming state elections.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Do you have a solution for how we could return to a more cautious discourse? The aftermath of the pandemic has already left a huge shambles.
Solution is perhaps a presumptuous word, but I do have an idea. Of course I am aware of the agitated mood. You either hate or love the Greens. The middle tones are visibly disappearing. However, I am convinced that a personal conversation is still the best way to get in touch with each other. You see each other directly and perceive each other without interruption. If you want to do something better, you have to demonstrate it. Otherwise it won't work. That's why we are currently working on new formats to give new impetus to a respectful, positive culture of debate.

The well-known German sociologist Hartmut Rosa recently wrote that our society is in a "frantic standstill", that most people are only concerned with somehow maintaining the status quo, but can no longer put anything aside. Do you know a way out?
I'm seeing young people in particular consciously slowing down, changing their consumer behavior and no longer working full-time. After all, they've seen their parents and grandparents do this, and they've seen how they've pedaled themselves into depression. Vintage has become a big trend. At the same time, I also see a lot of anxiety about the future among young people.

Can we even shift down a gear? Is there a way back?
There are alternatives. Not just a half-hearted investment in the energy transition, but a real investment in renewable energies, which are also very lucrative.

So wind turbines on Alpe Rauz or on the Pfänder ridge?
There is so much untapped potential. You could heat half of Hard with Lake Constance alone. Then there is the use of geothermal energy, which could heat entire districts. And, of course, wind energy.

A veritable battle for information narratives has been raging for some years now. Also an aftershock of the pandemic, I think. As a politician, how do you know which information you can trust?
That's really not an easy question. I naturally consult a wide variety of sources, compare them and pay attention to who is behind them. When it comes to the climate debate in particular, I refer to the studies by Prof. Reinhard Steurer from BOKU Vienna.

However, the big oil and gas companies also carry out climate research and come to completely different conclusions.
If we no longer trust our science, our universities, we politicians can all pack our bags.

The state elections are coming up. Anticipation or fear?
As time-consuming as an election campaign is, it's also great. Because I can simply go out and talk to people again. Of course, as a politician you also get to hear a lot. But I agree with the saying: if you can't stand the heat, you have no business in the kitchen.

Do you fear a shift to the right?
There is no doubt that the fronts have hardened. 2024 is a super election year, a year of directional decisions. I don't want to leave Vorarlberg to the arsonists, but will fight to ensure that Vorarlberg lives together and protects people and nature.

Thank you for the interview.