In October the Secretary General of the European Democratic Party, Sandro Gozi, and MEP Engin Eroglu visited member party Liste Fritz in the Tyrol, Austria.
The transit load in Tyrol has now reached proportions that are no longer acceptable for the Tyrolean population. 2.5 million lorries and 14 million cars pass through the Brenner bottleneck on the north-south axis every year. For Liste Fritz party leader and spokeswoman for traffic, Andrea Haselwanter-Schneider, this is an unacceptable burden for the Tyroleans along the transit route. “The Wipptal valley is under particular strain, as the evasion traffic means that nothing works in the municipalities either. Rien ne va plus,” says Haselwanter-Schneider, who also believes this jeopardises the safety of the population. “Medical emergencies will become a race against death, unthinkable if the weather doesn’t allow rescue flights.” For Haselwanter-Schneider, this is reason enough to finally take the problem to the European level. This is why Liste Fritz, which only joined the EDP this year, invited the German MEP Engin Eroglu and EDP Secretary General and MEP Sandro Gozi to a local inspection in order to make the Tyrolean transit problem visible to them on site. “I also made it clear to them that Tyrol will not budge an inch despite the threat of infringement proceedings by the Italian Transport Minister Salvini,” said Haselwanter-Schneider, who believes that the problem cannot be solved nationally, but only at a European level. “That’s why it’s absolutely necessary to network internationally at European level so that our concerns and needs are finally heard in Brussels!”
Sandro Gozi and Engin Eroglu pledge their support.
“After the site visit, MEP Sandro Gozi expressed his astonishment at the extent of the traffic over the Brenner Pass. “For me and the European Democratic Party, it is important to get to know the problems on the ground in order to gain the right impression and not simply make decisions in Brussels over the heads of the affected population,” said Gozi, who promised to work with his party colleague Engin Eroglu to promote the concerns of Tyroleans within the EU. Eroglu, MEP for the Freie Wähler, also wants to support the people of Tyrol. “I will also take the problem to Bavaria and sensitise our party leader Hubert Aiwanger, who is after all the Deputy Minister-President of Bavariaand Minister of Economic Affairs, to the Tyrolean concerns. However, the problem needs to be solved at European level, as three member states – Austria, Germany and Italy – are directly affected,” said Eroglu, who also wants to speak up for the people of Tyrol in Brussels. “Liste Fritz and we are not only allies in the European Democratic Party, but also have the same political approach. We are not committed to the parties or any ideologies, but to the people. Regionally and throughout Europe!”
“We have sought allies and found friends!” – Markus Sint, Chairman of Liste Fritz.
Markus Sint sees Liste Fritz in good hands in the European Democratic Party. “Without a network in the EU, we will continue to run into a wall within the EU in the upcoming years. And we have found a reliable ally in the EDP,” says Sint, who also knows that transit cannot simply be abolished. “But we can at least try to introduce new solutions at European level that are acceptable to everyone.” Liste Fritz will continue to endeavour to achieve good cooperation within the European Democratic Party and to promote greater understanding for the Tyrolean position within the EU.
Related member(s)
Sandro
Gozi
Secretary General
France
Engin
Eroglu
Executive Vice-President
Germany
Freie Wähler
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