Walter Boltz knows more about Austria’s energy supply than few. From 2001 to 2016 he was head of the regulatory authority E-Control. Now, due to the current situation – the gas crisis in Austria – a TV discussion has been invited, and the course of the discussion was different from what the energy minister, who had also been invited, had imagined.
Leonore Gewessler’s inactivity up to now has been lamented several times in eXXpress. Now that the situation is finally explosive, she no longer makes a secret of it – and tries to promote cohesion in the country. In “Pro & Contra” on Puls 24, she spoke of a “national effort”, the situation was “very, very serious”, everyone must now pull together, including the mayors.
But she is responsible for energy policy. It was also the Greens who wanted this mammoth ministry during the coalition negotiations. Frustrated industrialists who, because of Gewessler’s inaction, have called for their own energy minister or at least state secretary in recent weeks have remained unheard.
After her statement, Walter Boltz, who had also been invited, immediately confirmed that Gewessler could have done something. When asked what should have been done to prevent the current fiasco, Boltz explained: In March, liquefied gas should simply have been bought at the unloading terminals in Italy. At that time, Austria would still have received the necessary gas from so-called LNG tankers. Then it would have had to be forwarded from there to the node in Baumgarten. Point.
The slap in the face for Gewessler could hardly have been more resounding. The remarks also punish all lies that saw little scope for action for the energy minister.
Gewessler’s responsibility is great: As already reported, without gas, there would be devastating consequences for Austria’s industry and 80,000 unemployed…
