(Washington Insider Magazine) -The unprecedented coalition between Austria’s Greens and the conservative People’s Party has been a quiet affair for the eco-friendly party until now. The previous coalition between Sebastian Kurz’s right-wing party and the hard-right Freedom Party seemed like a much more harmonious agreement as the two often reached agreement on domestic and monetary issues. The Greens meanwhile have struggled to push through legislation that represents the party’s principles.
However, a radical new law concerning public transport is likely to be seen as a victory not just for the ecological progressives of Austria, but all of Europe. The new nationwide Klimaticket (climate ticket) as it’s been called will allow Austrians to travel across and within their country on public transport as much as they like for only €3 a day. It’s part of an ambitious effort to decarbonise the economy and falls in line with an already proud record of being the biggest per capita users of public transport in Europe in mileage.
The plan, which is expected to cost €150m a year, will be funded primarily through federal taxes. Austrians will also be offered the option of buying an annual ticket for €1,095.
The legislation still falls short of the Green party’s election promise to bring in daily nationwide tickets for €2 a day but is nonetheless a large step in an eco-friendly direction.
Sceptics have said however that the move is likely to make life cheaper for those who already use public transport but not necessarily encourage new users. For that, the services’ capacity and reach would also need to be upgraded according to parties like the Austrian Social Democrats.
Although the legislation is far from a finish line for green activists, it will be a move watched especially closely by the Greens in Germany, who find themselves in a power-brokering position after no one won a majority following Angela Merkel’s resignation. The party is likely to find itself in some form of a coalition in the coming months and will feel galvanised by the success of their sister party in a similar position, also being overshadowed by an establishment conservative party.
