Eypeltauer rules out supporting an FPÖ governor in Upper Austria

NEOS Upper Austria leader Felix Eypeltauer has ruled out supporting a Freedom Party governor after the 2027 state election, ORF reported. In an ORF Upper Austria summer interview, he criticised the state government’s energy and economic policies and said NEOS would not vote for FPÖ members to join the government.

Eypeltauer said the expansion of renewable energy needed to move much faster. He criticised wind power exclusion zones adopted by the conservative Austrian People’s Party and the FPÖ, arguing that a new wind power atlas showed that some of the most suitable regions were currently excluded.

Upper Austria needed to use “every potential” for wind power, he said. As an example, he cited a long-discussed project in Sandl in the Freistadt district involving 21 wind turbines that could supply about 125,000 households.

At the same time, Eypeltauer opposed further subsidies for photovoltaic systems, saying they were now economically viable. The money should instead be used to ease the burden on the population, he said.

Austria would need to establish as much additional electricity production by 2040 as it had built in the previous more than 100 years, according to Eypeltauer. This would require not only wind power but also expanded grids and storage solutions.

Eypeltauer also defended Austria’s path towards climate neutrality by 2040. He rejected concerns from business and industry that stricter requirements could put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage and threaten Austria as a business location. Clear targets would encourage investment and innovation, which would also benefit the economy, he said.

Eypeltauer criticises Google data centre project

Eypeltauer sharply criticised Upper Austria’s Economy Minister Markus Achleitner of the People’s Party over the planned Google data centre in Kronstorf. He said Achleitner was “the walking example that the People’s Party has lost its economic expertise.”

He accused the state of disclosing procedures and results too late. The public should have been involved much earlier, he said, and Google should have been recruited more strongly as a partner for industry and research.

Eypeltauer did not fundamentally oppose the data centre in Kronstorf. The key question was whether it would create added value for the region, he said.

Call for partial privatisation of Linz Airport

Eypeltauer described Linz Airport as “strategically bankrupt and economically bankrupt” and said the company had been run down under political supervision. He therefore called for partial privatisation.

Private partners could bring business expertise and new perspectives, he said. However, the conditions for operating the airport would have to be clearly defined. It should work economically while securing passenger, freight and military operations.

“No vote for Haimbuchner”

Looking ahead to the 2027 state election, Eypeltauer ruled out supporting a possible FPÖ governor. NEOS would not accept Freedom Party members as government ministers, he said.

The FPÖ was “too far removed from Austria’s interests, too focused on division and too closely allied with foreign autocrats”, Eypeltauer said. He added that cooperation with the party in individual policy areas was possible.

He also said it was not certain that the party winning the most votes would automatically provide the governor, as had previously been the case. A majority in the state parliament would be decisive.

Eypeltauer said he would not vote for FPÖ state party leader Manfred Haimbuchner, even if the FPÖ became the strongest party after the state election in autumn 2027. “I will not vote for Blues to become government members,” he said.

Eypeltauer said NEOS could win about 10 percent of the vote. If that happened, he wanted to become a state minister, with either the economy or education as his preferred portfolio.