Austrian Transport Minister Peter Hanke urges postponement of Brenner Highway protest

Austrian Transport Minister Peter Hanke warned that the planned environmental blockade of the Brenner Autobahn on 30 May would severely strain transit traffic, health, the environment and infrastructure, describing the impact as "unacceptable". He emphasized Austria’s central role in EU internal‑market supply chains and cautioned that disrupting the route could damage relations with neighboring Germany and Italy.

Hanke stated that the authority to ban the demonstration lies with the local district administration, not the ministry, and suggested that relocating the protest to another date or route would be a more reasonable solution, especially as 30 May is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Local officials, including the mayor of Gries, criticised the minister for delayed talks and alleged a "secret meeting" with construction site officials.

The Austrian authorities are proceeding with the necessary permits for the protest while considering the minister’s request to adjust its timing to minimise disruption to cross‑border traffic.