Greens take door-to-door campaign across Austria

The Greens are taking a door-to-door campaign across Austria this autumn to hear residents’ concerns and present themselves as an “open-minded alternative” to other parties, ORF reports.

About 50 Green activists gathered in Krems on Tuesday afternoon, where party leader Leonore Gewessler briefed them on the campaign. The party wants to speak directly with residents and hear what is on their minds, including energy bills, rising public transport fares, affordable housing and a lack of childcare, Gewessler said.

She said many people were looking for an alternative. Gewessler criticised the Freedom Party of Austria, saying it “stirs up hatred and division” and does not want to solve the country’s problems. She also said the federal government was either “standing like a rabbit before a snake” or occupied with itself.

The campaign is supported by the Greens in Lower Austria. State spokeswoman Helga Krismer said it was not intended as a conventional election campaign, but as a way of showing people that “there is someone in politics who listens”. The Greens plan to continue the campaign for almost three more weeks.