The lead candidate for Austria's Green Party in the upcoming European Parliament elections has rejected calls to stand down following embarrassing media revelations.
The party's general secretary, Olga Volgauer, on Wednesday said the political controversy surrounding Lena Schilling, the country's best-known climate activist, were an "unrestrained attempt to take down a young, committed woman."
"The boundaries have been crossed," she added, describing Schilling as an "exceptional political talent."
Leaked text messages published in the Austrian media showed Schilling - who was nominated as the Greens' top candidate for the June elections despite not being a member of the party - criticizing the Greens and suggesting she might move to a different left-wing party in the European Parliament.
The 23-year-old admitted she had been critical of the party, but said it was the only political force in Austria committed to tackling the climate crisis. She said she would officially join the party after receiving support from its members in recent days.
The controversy was triggered by allegations in the Der Standard newspaper that described Schilling as loose with the truth, following interviews with 50 people.
Green Party leader Werner Kogler described the accusations as "anonymous rumblings" with vulgar language which caused further headlines.
The dispute has dominated the headlines in Austria less than three weeks before the elections, which are scheduled to take place across the EU from June 6-9.