Secret personnel package: Babler’s team should be in place by Tuesday

On Monday, Hans Peter Doskozil wanted to pay an inaugural visit to the SP headquarters in Löwelstrasse. Which the Burgenland governor canceled at short notice in view of the chaos with the delegate vote. On Wednesday it was time for the visit of the new party chairman. As has been known since Tuesday, his name is Andreas Babler and he was received with applause from the employees, according to headquarters.

In the meantime, Babler has also completed his first SP presidency – incidentally without Doskozil, who announced that he did not want to return to the federal party committees even after the leadership dispute had been clarified. For him, “the chapter of federal politics” is closed. Which means that the appeal by Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig to Doskozil to take part in future discussions on the content of the SPÖ should, at least for the time being, come to nothing.

The question of which team Babler wants to start his new start with remains unanswered. In the presidium it was only agreed that an ordinary party congress would be held in late autumn. There, the statutes are to be changed in the sense of an expansion of member participation. Babeler also informed about a summer tour through all political districts.

Club general meeting on Tuesday

It will be exciting in terms of personnel next Tuesday when the club general meeting votes on the successor to Pamela Rendi-Wagner, who is stepping down as club chairwoman at the end of June. Babler, who does not have a seat in the National Council, is out of the question. The chances are good that there will be a woman at the top of the red club again. The SP women’s boss Eva-Maria Holzleitner is considered the favorite for this key function. Environmental spokeswoman Julia Herr, who openly supported Babler in the member survey, was also mentioned several times.

Whereby Mr. should also be very popular as the new federal manager. Willi Mernyi is also repeatedly discussed for the position of party manager. The head secretary of the ÖGB has always resisted calls from headquarters.

Babler, who wants to remain mayor of Traiskirchner and SP Federal Councilor for the time being, can determine the latter personally. He also wants to submit his proposal to the SP board next week. It is unclear whether there will also be an offer to the Doskozil camp.

The first solidarity notes from sister parties, initially from the Czech Republic and Slovenia, were received on Thursday. “Andi Babler gives a voice to the hope for a fairer future,” wrote the German SPD general secretary Kevin Kühnert, who himself belongs to the left wing of his party.

Consolation from Switzerland

While the SPÖ reaped malice from many parts of the world for its electoral chaos, words of comfort came yesterday from Switzerland of all places, a stronghold of direct democracy. “One should be careful with ridicule from Switzerland towards the East at the moment,” wrote the renowned Swiss political scientist Silvano Moeckli.

He recalled the recent referendum on raising the retirement age for women in the canton of Solothurn. In one community, the yes and no votes were mixed up. This was only discovered during a recount, which overturned the originally narrow Yes majority throughout the canton. Such mistakes occur “periodically” in Switzerland, writes Moeckli.