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The Green Party’s leading EU candidate has been accused of manipulation and character assassination. The party was not impressed.
Lena Schilling is the face of the Austrian climate movement. She was on Fridays for the Future, took to the streets for feminism, protested the exploitation of harvest workers, and campaigned for school reform as a high school student.
“Lena Schilling has managed to become the face of the modern Austrian environmental movement,” says investigative journalist Fabian Schmidt of the “Standard”, who helped uncover the Lena Schilling scandal.
The Greens were initially committed to a coup with the party-political newcomer and nominated him as their first candidate with 97 percent. It paid off early.
Rumors spread
But Schmitt, a journalist from the left-liberal “Standard”, and his colleagues carefully investigated and found serious misconduct by the green top candidate. Among other things, Schilling reported that a friend and fellow activist in the environmental movement was assaulted by her husband and suffered a miscarriage. Under pressure from victims, he had to sign a cease-fire and a declaration of withdrawal.
We’re not here to let some anonymous grumble stop us.
He also accused a journalist of having an affair with him, revealing all the chats with Schilling that the person involved could only deny to his superiors.
The Greens dismissed the allegations as an attempt to “finish a young, determined woman”. Green Party leader and vice-chancellor Werner Koegler told a hastily called press conference: “We are not here to let anonymous grumbling stop us. Of course not.”
Purana:
Smiles to the media: Party leader Koegler and leading candidate Schilling.
Keystone/Hans Glass Tech
Schilling defended himself like a seasoned politician: “I’m standing there now, and instead of talking about topics on a Wednesday morning, we should be talking about what it’s really about: the things that really concern the people of the country.” That’s why he doesn’t respond to personal gossip. “I hope we can accept that my private life is still my private life.”
Schilling is now committed to the Green Party
But it gets even weirder: “The Standard” has some affidavits according to which Schilling complained that Sigrid Maurer, head of the Green Committee in the National Council, behaved inappropriately and harassed her – whatever that is.
Journalist Schmidt explains that he hates the Greens and wrote to Schilling in chats shortly before his appointment. The “Standard” also had chatter that Lena Schilling was considering switching to the left after the election. Schilling is now openly committed to the Green Party and wants to join the party.
This person causes harm and existentially threatening situations.
In Schilling’s case, Austria is divided. Federal President Alexander van der Bellen was a great Green politician until he was elected state president: “Who doesn’t make mistakes as a youth?”
Even investigative journalist Schmidt is more cautious when investigating motives and notes Lena Schilling’s inexperience.
He justifies the research on “standards” as follows: “We have someone running for an office in which he will help make decisions for 450 million EU citizens. This person is causing damage and existentially threatening situations. I think this should be made clear to voters.
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