2024-05-09 00:25:48
A newspaper makes serious allegations against the Austrian Green Party’s leading candidate for the European elections. Now Lena Schilling is taking action against it.
The Austrian Green Party’s top candidate for the EU elections, Lena Schilling, defends herself against serious allegations. These were raised in a media report and relate, among other things, to how they deal with the truth. The newspaper is based on “rumors and allegations” that target her personal area but have nothing to do with her politics, the 23-year-old said on Wednesday in Vienna. “Actually, my character is being questioned.”
But she won’t let that throw her off her game. “I hope it’s acceptable for my private life to still be private,” Schilling said.
Newspaper: Schilling “angered or hurt a lot of people”
In its report, the newspaper “Der Standard” cites, among other things, a cease-and-desist declaration that the candidate is no longer allowed to make certain statements about a friend’s relationship problems.
“After weeks of research and conversations with around fifty people, it can be determined that Schilling angered or hurt many people and even brought some into difficulties that threatened their existence,” the paper also writes (Wednesday). Regarding the cease-and-desist declaration, Schilling said that she had acted out of “honest concern for a friend” and wanted to use this settlement to get the matter out of the way.
“We won’t let rumors stop us”
Austria’s Green Party leader Werner Kogler viewed the publication as a smear campaign. “We won’t let rumors stop us,” said the Vice-Chancellor. Apparently the candidacy of a very young woman is a thorn in the side of some people.
Schilling is considered Austria’s best-known climate activist and, as the Green Party’s top candidate, has the best chance of being elected to the European Parliament on June 9th.