Leonore Gewessler

Preceded byAndreas Reichhardt Personal detailsBorn (1977-10-15) 15 October 1977 (age 46)
Graz, Styria, AustriaPolitical partyThe Greens – The Green AlternativeAlma materUniversity of Vienna

Leonore Gewessler (German: [lɛoˈnoːʁε ˈgeːvεslɐ]; born 15 September 1977) is an Austrian Green politician serving as Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology in the Nehammer government.^[1]

Early life

Education

Gewessler earned a political science degree (BA) from the University of Vienna.

Political career

From 2014 until 2019, Gewessler served as head of Austria's largest environmental charity and lobbying group Global 2000. In this capacity, she championed a popular campaign against the expansion of the ageing Soviet-era^{[clarification needed]} Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant in neighbouring Slovakia, just 100 km from the Austrian border.^[2] In the negotiations on a coalition government following the 2019 Austrian legislative election, Gewessler was a member of the Green Party's delegation.^[2]

Role in the Nature Restoration Law

In June 2024, Leonore Gewessler played a pivotal role in the passage of the European Union's Nature Restoration Law, a key element of the European Green Deal aimed at restoring 20% of the EU's land and sea by the end of the decade. Despite significant opposition and political controversy, Gewessler announced her support for the law, citing her inability to reconcile letting the opportunity pass without having tried everything. This decision, however, placed her in a contentious legal grey area due to opposition from Austria's federal states and her coalition partners, the centre-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).^[3]

References

External links

• Leonore Gewessler on the Austrian Parliament website