Gewessler on the A 9

Green minister almost lost her tongue

Governor Christopher Drexler and Leonore Gewessler at the presentation on Friday(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The Styrian state leadership with ÖVP Governor Christopher Drexler and his red "Vice" Anton Lang still agreed with Leonore Gewessler on the expansion of the southern line, but then there were the expected crumbs.

The fact that "Steirerbluat koa Himbeersaft" (Styrian blood is not raspberry juice) has been known beyond the Semmering region since before Reinhard P. Gruber's "Hödlmoser" novel. If Styrian-born Leonore Gewessler had forgotten this during her time in Vienna, she was reminded of it on Friday.

The government meeting room in Graz Castle was quickly transformed into a press conference stage (construction was underway in the White Hall), and together with ÖVP state governor Christopher Drexler and his red "deputy" Anton Lang, the green infrastructure minister signed a declaration of intent for the double-track expansion of the southern line between Werndorf and Spielfeld-Straß.

For Anton Lang (SPÖ), she is not exactly one of his favorite guests from Vienna: the Green Minister Leonore Gewessler.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The harmony quickly came to an end
The three agreed that the mega project was indispensable for Styria and its connection to the Slovenian port of Koper, for example. But then the harmony quickly came to an end. The conflicting issue of the A 9, which had been looming menacingly in the air from the outset, was not left out, just to keep the peace. Gewessler vehemently opposes the highway project and has had to endure fierce criticism from the state leadership in the past.

 "The three-lane expansion is essential", "we have a huge problem with traffic avoiding the highway", Drexler and Lang spoke plainly. Gewessler was visibly "not amused", she even lost her tongue for a moment, but nevertheless remained unwaveringly on the green line: "More roads also mean more traffic!"