"I made mistakes"

Why resignation is out of the question for Schilling

(Bild: krone.tv)

After her press conference on the latest accusations, the Green top candidate Lena Schilling came to the krone.tv studio on Wednesday afternoon. In an interview with Tanja Pfaffeneder, she confirmed that she would not resign - and explained why.

The 23-year-old politician, who is particularly committed to environmental protection and social justice, is currently at the center of a heated debate. In this interview, the ex-activist, who applied for Green Party membership on Wednesday, talks about defamation, her reputation and her future.

"I'm not made of Teflon"
How is she dealing with the accusations? Schilling says: "I mean, I'm not made of Teflon and what happened didn't just bounce off me. But I'm trying to focus on what I stand for, especially now and in times like these." The main aim is to push through the Green Deal in the EU and fight for further climate measures.

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Comparison "politically exploited"
But the comparison with the Bohrn-Mena couple was also "politically exploited", Schilling emphasizes sharply: "It was brought to various editorial offices - by whoever - certainly not by me. In other words, I made a commitment to say that I didn't want to talk about it at all. And that's how politics was made."

"Never complained to a boss"
 In one case, there was even an internal investigation at a media company after the HR department was informed that the 23-year-old claimed to have been harassed by one of the company's journalists. "This media house never came to me. I never heard anything about these investigations. I never complained to a boss, a female boss, the HR department or anyone else," says the politician in the interview.

I have made mistakes, especially in my private life.

Lena Schilling, grüne EU-Spitzenkandidatin

Private, political and university reputation damaged
"People are trying to damage my private reputation, my political reputation and even my university reputation. We get press inquiries asking for men's names, who I've had affairs with. Where people insinuate that I set fire to the Lobau camp. We are in a super election year and now something like this is being done. That is extremely damaging," says Schilling. 

Despite her "mistakes", she is nevertheless continuing: "Together with the Green Party, I have decided to carry on. It needs young people, it needs older people, it needs women, it needs men. It simply needs representative people sitting in parliaments. And yes, I am human. I have made mistakes, especially in my private life, and certainly also in past relationships."