The big interview

Will you get through all this, Ms. Schilling?

Green EU leadership candidate Lena Schilling (23) in an interview with "Krone".(Bild: Klemens Groh)

Serious accusations, a failed press conference and then support from the FPÖ: things couldn't have been worse for Lena Schilling this week. Conny Bischofberger met the Green EU top candidate for an interview that was actually planned as a Mother's Day interview.

The "Raimann" in Vienna-Meidling is one of those suburban coffee houses where a Melange costs less than 4 euros. And it is the favorite café of Christina Schilling, the mother of Lena Schilling, who describes herself as a native Viennese. "I often come here to read a book or newspapers," explains the social worker when we meet there on a Friday afternoon, "it's a great place to be anonymous." Lena Schilling sits next to her and drinks raspberry juice.

She has put her hair up and is wearing a green velvet shirt. Our Mother's Day interview was also supposed to be about places of retreat, family support and private moments. Then a tsunami of accusations broke out against the Green top candidate in the EU elections. Lena Schilling decided to do the interview anyway. And her mother also agreed.

During the "Krone" interview in Café "Reimann": Lena's mother Christina is a social worker.(Bild: Klemens Groh )

"Krone": There are events that break biographies - into a life before and a life after. Was last Tuesday, when the "Standard" published the story about you, such an event?