The mood was demonstratively good, despite all the differences in content, the party bigwigs were all kissing and kissing. “We’re full,” was the message ten minutes before the event began – with the reminder to please keep the security routes clear. Almost all of the party’s prominent figures were present.
The speeches will begin at around 5.40 p.m. with Linz’s top candidate for the National Council election, Roland Baumann, followed by Linz City Councilor Dietmar Prammer, the designated candidate for mayor of Linz. He was previously a guest at the European Forum Alpbach – Prammer represented the mayor Klaus Luger, who is about to resign. It is noteworthy that Prammer has a role in the official proceedings – Luger (before his fall from grace over the LIVA affair) justified his absence from Linz with appointments in Alpbach.
There is a video message from former Federal President Heinz Fischer. Later, regional party leader Michael Lindner and the Upper Austrian top candidate Eva-Maria Holzleitner will speak. Finally, at 6:20 p.m., federal SP leader Andreas Babler is scheduled to take the microphone. After his criticism of his own party, it will be watched with interest whether he will extend a hand to the critics on this occasion.
There has been enough excitement in the SPÖ in recent days – and more than a party can really need just a few weeks before a national election. The LIVA affair and the resignation of Linz Mayor Klaus Luger were accompanied by a tug-of-war between the red leaders in the city, state and federal government. Who suggested resignation to whom and when, and who already knew about what and when, dominated the exchange of blows between the state capital and Vienna.
The fact that SP leader Andres Babler publicly called for Luger’s resignation was met with little approval in Upper Austria – Luger firmly denies that Babler played a role in his decision.
There was further controversy at the weekend with criticism from the second President of the National Council, Doris Bures, who accused Babler’s election manifesto of being “frivolous”. On Wednesday, another facet was added: the third President of the State Parliament and Luger confidant Peter Binder was the only member of the party executive to vote for Babler’s election manifesto. Although the regional SPÖ had announced that “all” the top officials would attend, Binder was absent. He received many messages after his voting behavior became known – many of them very negative.
Author
Julia Popovsky
Editor State and Domestic Politics
Julia Popovsky
