The Green Burgenland
| The Green Burgenland | |
|
|
| Country spokeswoman | Regina Petrik |
| Country manager | Martina Hajdusich |
| Headquarters | Pfarrgasse 30 7000 Eisenstadt |
| Seats in state parliaments |
2/36 ( LTW 2020 / MPs ) |
| Alignment | Green politics |
| Website | https://burgenland.gruene.at/ |
Die Grünen Burgenland (long form: DIE GRÜNEN - Die Grüne Alternative Burgenland - zeleni - zöldek - selene (GRÜNE) ) is the autonomous regional organization of the Austrian party Die Grünen - Die Grüne Alternative in the federal state of Burgenland . The Green Burgenland have been represented in the Burgenland State Parliament since 2000 .
history
The predecessor organization of the Austrian Greens, the Alternative List of Austria (ALÖ), was constituted in Graz in 1982 and consisted of autonomous regional organizations. Activists from Burgenland were also present at the founding assembly, but there was no regional organization from Burgenland at the time. As a result, the Greens found it difficult to gain a foothold in Burgenland; in the National Council election in 1983 , the United Greens Austria (VGÖ) only achieved 0.99% and the ALÖ only 0.87%. Burgenland also brought up the rear in Austria when it came to critical Austrian initiatives such as the Konrad Lorenz referendum or the referendum against interceptors and Freda Meissner-Blau's presidential candidacy . The founding of the Burgenland Greens was preceded by efforts to unite the various green groups. Pius Strobl , who was active nationwide in the citizens' initiative parliament, negotiated in November 1985 representatives of the Alternative List Burgenland (ALB), representatives of the VGÖ around the former FPÖ functionary Wolfgang Pelikan and with non-party members. The aim was the unification of the green movement in Burgenland, whereby the "Personnel Committee for the Formation of a New Political Force in Burgenland" was created in the course of the meeting. At a later meeting, the name of the movement was changed to “List for Another Burgenland” (LIAB), the list being established with the aim of “bringing together and coordinating initiative groups and individuals for the implementation of primarily ecological and democratic goals” . For the first state assembly of the LIAB, an election proposal for the state board and the management was presented in which all groups involved were taken into account. This suggestion was not accepted, however, and a joint coordination committee, which later became the state executive, was formed. Some of the members of the ALB, however, went their own way and split off as the “green alternative democratic list”.
The LIAB gave up its working title in the course of the election campaign for the National Council election in 1986 and was founded on October 11, 1986 as "Green Alternative Burgenland" in Mattersburg . The admission as a regional group took place at the first federal congress of the "Green Alternative" in February 1987 in Klagenfurt. In the National Council election itself, the Greens in Burgenland performed worst in comparison with the other federal states with 2.48%. In the following year, the Burgenland Greens ran under Marijana Grandits as the top candidate for the first time in a state election . In terms of content, the Greens focused on the topics of transit, minority rights, forest dieback and regional funding, and Pius Strobl, a media specialist, campaigned for the Greens' state election campaign. Nevertheless, with a share of 2.20% of the vote, the Greens could not even exploit the potential of the National Council election in this election. Among other things, the fact that representatives of the VGÖ had started together with the former SPÖ club chairwoman Ottilie Matysek as the “Burgenland Initiative with Matysek” had a negative impact on the Greens . After the Burgenland Initiative had only received 1.1% of the votes, the United Greens in Burgenland finally sank into insignificance and the Green Alternative was able to establish itself as the only Green Party in Burgenland.
Nevertheless, the Greens were not able to gain a foothold in Burgenland for a long time. In the municipal council elections in Burgenland in 1987, she entered with only three green lists in Mattersburg, Eisenstadt and Kittsee, whereby they managed to move into the latter two. In the state elections in 1991 , the Greens under top candidate Pius Strobl were able to increase slightly, as a result of the appearance of the Liberal Forum (LIF), the result of the Greens in Burgenland in the state elections in 1996 under top candidate Daniela Graf fell back to almost the original value of 1987. After Pius Strobl and Daniela Graf had managed the business of the Burgenland Greens from 1991, Strobl finally resigned from the position of regional manager in 1995. Margarethe Krojer subsequently took up a free function and ran the business together with Graf. In 1996, Margarethe Krojer finally took over the role of regional spokeswoman for the Burgenland Greens, supported by Laci Geiger as regional manager. Under the aegis of Krojer, the Greens managed to jump the 5% hurdle in the state elections in 2000 and, with 5.5%, entered the state parliament. Margarethe Krojer and Joško Vlasich then took up the two mandates they won . The 2005 state elections for the Greens ended with slight losses and again two mandates, Krojer and Vlasich again accepted the two mandates. Krojer subsequently withdrew as the Greens' state spokeswoman in 2006, whereupon Vlasich prevailed with 62.7 percent against Hans Leitner from Markt Allhau as the new state spokesperson.
In the course of the state elections in 2010, there were major personnel changes in the Green Burgenland. After the previous club chairwoman of the Greens Margarethe Krojer had announced that she would run for second place on the state list and Joško Vlasich had withdrawn to an ineligible list position, the Burgenland Greens presented the former Green press spokesman Michel Reimon as a top candidate in mid-January 2010. Reimon was subsequently elected on January 30, 2010 at a state assembly in Mattersburg with 60 out of 61 votes. In their election manifesto, the Greens put the issues of “humanity” and environmental protection first, and the Greens devote a lot of space to core subjects such as democracy and education as well as economic issues, spatial planning and infrastructure. As a result, however, the Greens clearly missed the election target of seven percent of the vote or three mandates. With only 4.15% the Greens lost a mandate, whereupon Reimon moved into the state parliament as the only representative of the Greens. Reimon was subsequently also elected country spokesman in autumn 2010. Reimon resigned from office in 2012, however, in order to concentrate more on his work as a member of the state parliament, whereupon Regina Petrik was elected as state spokeswoman in March 2012. Most recently, the Greens Burgenland were able to score another small success in the 2012 municipal council election. With an increase of 0.4% of the votes, the previous number of seats was increased from 19 to 27 seats, with the Greens running in 19 municipalities and moving into 17 municipal councils.
In January 2014, Michel Reimon, who moved to the European Parliament, was replaced by Wolfgang Spitzmüller, local councilor in Oberschützen, in the Burgenland state parliament. In the 2015 state elections , the Greens won 6.43 percent and two seats held by Regina Petrik and Wolfgang Spitzmüller.
Structure and organs
Membership in the Green Burgenland
Membership in the Burgenland Greens is open to all natural persons who are committed to the principles and goals of the Green Burgenland. The prerequisite for the admission of a member is that he is not a member or candidate of any other party or campaigning group that is running for the EU Parliament, National Council, State Parliament or Municipal Council.
In addition to a normal membership, there is also the option of supporting the Green Burgenland as a “supporting member” without claiming any further rights with a financial contribution. In addition, people can acquire the status of sympathizer, whereby it must be declared in writing to the provincial executive that one agrees to the principles and goals of the Green Burgenland and wants to work with the party and participate in decision-making without being a party member. The state executive board decides on admission as a member or sympathizer.
Membership gives individuals the right to attend all meetings of the Green organs. Membership is associated with the right to vote, the right to submit proposals, and the right to be active and passive in the national assembly. This applies to all organs, functions and delegations to be elected by the state assembly as well as the election of the lists of candidates for state parliament and national council elections as well as for EU elections. In contrast to the members, sympathizers only have the right to vote, as well as the active and passive right to vote for the election of candidates when drawing up election lists.
National Assembly
The state assembly is the highest decision-making body in the Green Burgenland and meets at least once a year. The state assembly is usually convened by the state board, whereby the state committee can also convene an extraordinary state assembly. At the request of more than 25% of the members of the party, the state executive must also convene one.
The Provincial Assembly of the Green Burgenland passes resolutions on general principles and goals of the Burgenland Greens, changes to the statutes and the merger or dissolution of the party. It elects the delegates and substitute delegates to the Federal Congress, prepares the electoral lists for the state and national council elections as well as for the EU elections and elects all internal functions such as those of the state spokesman, the financial officer, four other members of the state executive board and the auditors. The state assembly is also responsible for the discharge of the board and decides on the admission of local Green groups and Green sub-organizations.
A 2/3 majority in the regional assembly is required to pass resolutions on the principles and goals of the Green Burgenland, amendments to the statutes, the dismissal of the entire state board or individual state board members and the merger and / or dissolution of the Green Burgenland.
State Committee
The provincial committee (in other federal provinces also "extended provincial board") is the second highest political body of the Green Burgenland. It consists of all voting members of the state board, a delegate of the state board of the Green Education Workshop Burgenland, the district spokesmen of the political districts, a delegate of the parliamentary group, a delegate of the board of the Green Community Representatives Association and a delegate of those sub-organizations of the Green Burgenland, those of the state committee a voting right was conferred together.
The state committee meets at least twice a year, at least once every six months. He is responsible for the implementation of resolutions of the state assembly, the coordination and evaluation of the state-wide work and for taking decisions within the framework of the program and the resolutions of the state assembly which, due to their urgency, cannot first be presented to the state assembly. Furthermore, it confirms the annual financial statements and elects the country manager. In addition, he elected the deputy of the state spokesman from the group of four elected board members, is responsible for granting voting rights for sub-organizations and appoints the delegates to the boards of the sub-organizations, the delegates to the extended federal board and the delegates to the "Green Symposium". The state committee can also pass resolutions on government participation at state level, the annual budget and the minimum membership fee.
State Board
The provincial board of the Green Burgenland heads the provincial organization and decides on general personnel conditions as well as on the conclusion and termination of employment relationships. The state board prepares the budget draft and the budget account, conducts the day-to-day business within the framework of the resolutions of the state assembly and the state committee and decides on the admission of members and sympathizers. He is also responsible for the recognition of local groups and sub-organizations, and takes care of the convening and implementation of state assemblies. It also makes decisions within the framework of the program or the resolutions of the state assembly and the state committee on all questions that, due to their urgency, cannot first be submitted to a state committee. In terms of personnel, the state executive consists of the state spokesman, the state manager, the financial officer, the four other elected members as well as a delegate from the state parliament and a delegate from the Burgenland Green Education Workshop. Furthermore, the state executive committee can co-opt up to two non-voting members. The state board must be re-elected within 6 months after each Burgenland state election.
State spokesman, state manager and state finance officer
The state spokesman is elected by the state assembly and is the political representative of the Green Burgenland to the outside world. He is also responsible for the implementation of the political decisions of the state executive. The state manager is elected by the state committee for 2 ½ years and is responsible for the management of the state office, the coordination of all internal agendas, the personnel management of the state office, implementation of the political decisions of the state executive committee, the holding of meetings of the state executive committee and the state committee, the representation of the party when concluding legal transactions and information management in the Green Burgenland. The financial officer is also elected by the regional assembly for a period of 2.5 years and is responsible for the proper financial management in accordance with the statutes.
Election results
State elections
| year | % | Top candidate | Seats in the state parliament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 2.2 | Marijana Grandits | 0 |
| 1991 | 3.4 | Pius Strobl | 0 |
| 1996 | 2.5 | Daniela Graf | 0 |
| 2000 | 5.5 | Margarethe Krojer | 2 |
| 2005 | 5.2 | Margarethe Krojer | 2 |
| 2010 | 4.2 | Michel Reimon | 1 |
| 2015 | 6.4 | Regina Petrik | 2 |
| 2020 | 6.7 | Regina Petrik | 2 |
Municipal council elections
The Green Burgenland were only able to gain a foothold in the municipal councils of the Burgenland communities late. In the municipal council election on October 25, 1987, the “Green Forum Mattersburg”, the “Green Forum Eisenstadt” and the “Green Active” list in Kittsee were the first to run green lists in Burgenland, with only the green lists in Eisenstadt and Kittsee each having one mandate could move in the local council. Subsequently, the results of the Greens in the municipalities remained modest. In 1997 the Greens were only able to achieve 0.36% or three mandates, whereby the Greens were only represented with one mandate each in the communities of Eisenstadt, Jennersdorf and Pinkafeld. In the municipal council elections on October 21, 2002, the Greens ran in 15 municipalities, increasing to 0.94% and with 13 mandates for the first time were able to achieve a double-digit mandate result. The Greens achieved their best result with 12.1% or two mandates in Frankenau-Unterpullendorf and Jennersdorf with 11.7% and three mandates. In Eisenstadt, the Greens were able to gain one mandate to their previous mandate, and the Greens also received one mandate each in Nickelsdorf , Breitenbrunn am Neusiedler See , Großwarasdorf , Oberschützen , Pinkafeld and Mattersburg . In contrast, with around 5% each, the Greens in Lutzmannsburg , Neustift bei Güssing and Baumgarten failed to get into the municipal council with poorer results in Antau , Mischendorf and Hannersdorf .
In the municipal council election on October 21, 2007, the Greens succeeded in running in 22 municipalities. With a nationwide share of the votes of 1.39%, the Greens got 20 seats or an increase of 0.45% and seven seats. While the Greens in Oberschützen and Pinkafeld flew out of the municipal council again, they were able to move into the municipal council for the first time in Neusiedl am See , Heiligenkreuz im Lafnitztal , Steinberg-Dörfl , Rudersdorf , Neudörfl and Steinbrunn . The Greens achieved their best result in this election with 17.3% and three mandates in Nickelsdorf. After the election, the Greens were represented in 13 municipal councils.
In the municipal council elections on October 1, 2017, the Greens won a total of 27 seats in 21 municipalities.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior (PDF; 6.2 MB): The National Council election of November 23, 1986. Processed by the Austrian Central Statistical Office. Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1987, p. 46
- ↑ 2017 municipal council elections. Accessed March 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Local council election 2017 - we say thank you! Retrieved March 6, 2018 .
literature
- Roland Widder (Ed.): Burgenland. From the borderland in the east to the gateway to the west. Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Weimar 2000 (History of the Austrian Federal States since 1945, Volume 6)