ÖVP scandal: Schmiedlechner warns of a dramatic agricultural emergency!

ÖVP scandal: Schmiedlechner warns of a dramatic agricultural emergency!

Österreich - On March 24, 2025, ÖVP Agriculture Minister Norbert Tettschnig commented in an interview about the closures at Agrana, an important company in the Austrian agricultural sector. He made it clear that these decisions are due to the permission of Ukraine, among other things, to export additional sugar quantities to the EU. These geopolitical and economic developments have according to the sustainable effects on the competitiveness of domestic agriculture.

The freedom spokesman for agriculture and forestry, Peter Schmiedlechner, criticized homicides. He described it as a self-action and accused the ÖVP and the other parties SPÖ and NEOS to blindly accept national interests to the detriment of Austria. "This leads to unemployment and misery in our country," says Schmiedlechner. He spoke of a "sacrifice" of Austria in favor of Ukraine and expressed concerns about the import of Genmais and sugar.

protests against EU guidelines

Schmiedlechner called for a greater responsibility of the Austrian ministers and reported on the financial consequences of the trade agreements, which are ultimately also borne by the pensions of the older generations. He described the complaints about competitive pressure as homemade and warned of a dangerous dependence on EU trade agreements.

positive trade balance of the EU

According to the results of the study, EU agricultural food exports could increase by up to 29% by 2030, while imports would increase in a moderate framework of up to 13%. The scenarios that have been examined shows that an ambitious approach with a full customization of most products could also be advantageous for the agricultural sector. This approach with different customs liberalization degrees protects susceptible agricultural and food sectors, which underpins the overall strategy of the European Union.

The results of the study presented in the Committee on Agriculture of the European Parliament illustrate that common agricultural politics should support innovation, sustainability and competitiveness in the future. This is in a clear contrast to the worries that Schmiedlechner expresses and raises questions about the actual implementation of this strategy.

The debate about the closures at Agrana and the changing trade relationships raise not only economic but also social issues. The argument between political positions and the challenges of the global market remains exciting.