At loggerheads with the FPÖ

Farmers’ revolt against “expropriation fantasies”

Johannes Schmuckenschlager wants to defend "his" farmers against expropriation, but according to FPÖ provincial councillor Susanne Rosenkranz, he is targeting the wrong people.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Attila Molnar, Fotograf & Fee, Sepp Pail)

The Lower Austrian Farmers' Association and FPÖ provincial councillor Susanne Rosenkranz are now lashing out at each other with verbal "flails"! At the heart of the dispute: the alleged "expropriation" of farmers.

This attack by Susanne Rosenkranz of the Freedom Party on farming families is unacceptable", rages Chamber President Johannes Schmuckenschlager as the indignant mouthpiece of the local farmers' association. The reason for his anger: In an interview, the blue-yellow state councillor responsible for nature conservation had allegedly called for the expropriation of local farmers by the federal government as part of the Brussels renaturation regulation.

The FPÖ politician did not deny this in her reply to the criticism - in what the farmers consider to be an "angry statement". Schmuckenschlager strongly criticizes this and unpacks the verbal "flail": "For the blue party, the implementation of an ideological EU maxim seems to be more important than the protection of the constitutionally guaranteed property rights of farmers."

FPÖ politician threatens legal action
However, Rosenkranz strongly denied that she would support the eviction of farmers from their land in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper: "The accusations against me are fake news. The approval was given by the government and the Green Minister Leonore Gewessler. She is allowing the attack on agricultural livelihoods." Rosenkranz now also wants to defend herself in court. She is giving Schmuckenschlager until midnight tonight to remove his post from the Internet. Otherwise she will sue for defamation of character.