“I want to put an end to the speculation”: With these words, Linz Deputy Mayor Bernhard Baier began his short-notice press conference this morning. There he confirmed what has been an open secret for days. “I will leave Linz city politics on March 17th, resign my position as Deputy Mayor and as chairman of the Linz People’s Party.”
As reported, Baier has a good chance of being elected as one of the new managing directors at today’s board meeting of OÖ Wohnbau, but he did not want to comment on his future employer – in view of the pending decision – today.
The outgoing deputy mayor also did not want to confirm who would succeed him as deputy mayor, transport officer and Linz party leader. As is well known, a successor is already available in Martin Hajart. Tonight, the party executive is meeting on this personnel matter, further changes (keyword club chairperson etc.) at the ÖVP leadership, as far as he knows, there will be no, so Baier.
The decision to leave city politics after around ten years was a personal one that was not easy for him, says the 47-year-old. “But some time ago I got an offer from business that I will accept. It is time for a generational change in the party.”
Baier was Linz’s ÖVP club chairman from 2012 to 2013, followed in 2013 by the lawyer Erich Watzl as Linz’s vice mayor. Before that he worked as a lawyer at the Office of the Upper Austria. state government active.
Source: Nachrichten
