Landtag mid-term review

Is the Green one-man show coming to an end?

Provincial Councillor Kaineder (right) with the Green Club: Reinhard Ammer, Rudi Hemetsberger, Anne-Sophie Bauer, Ines Vukajlović, Dagmar Engl, Ulrike Schwarz, Severin Mayr (from left).(Bild: Werner Dedl, Berufsfotograf)

For the Greens, it is a dilemma of the proportional representation system in Upper Austria: although they have a seat in the state government, it is very difficult for them to get their issues through in the state parliament as an opposition party. In addition, the majority of Green politicians make only a few public appearances. 

A question from August 19 in the Vorchdorf municipal council on the Laudachsteg Ascherwinkel is the last political activity of Reinhard Ammer that is noted on the website of the Green Party parliamentary club. This does not necessarily mean that he has stopped working since then - the member of parliament may simply not have communicated his activities publicly.

Timid publicity
This example is symptomatic of a large part of the Green team that has been in parliament for three years. MPs such as Anne-Sophie Bauer, Ulrike Schwarz and Dagmar Engl are also making a rather timid push into the public eye.

165 motions in the state parliament
The Green parliamentary group is by no means inactive, as a mid-term review of the legislative period shows: 103 of its own motions have been tabled since 2021. In addition, 62 motions have been submitted jointly with other parliamentary groups. The problem is that the Greens are hardly getting through to the black-blue coalition with their core concerns of climate and soil protection as well as the energy and mobility transition.

Federal government without the Greens
And the dilemma could be exacerbated if the future federal government - which seems likely - manages without the Greens. In any case, club leader Severin Mayr is highly motivated for this eventuality: "Each and every Green MP and we as an entire team promise the greatest possible commitment to Upper Austria."

We are excited - because the Greens are currently perceived as more of a one-man show with the omnipresent Provincial Councillor Stefan Kaineder.