Personnel discussions

Rumbling in the ÖVP after the run-off election defeat

Minister Edtstadler will also have a say in the executive committee next week.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

There are calls for personnel changes in the governor's party. Haslauer takes the blame for his defeat.

In the mayoral run-off election, the ÖVP was represented in twelve decisions, five of which were lost. It was an unpleasant Sunday for the provincial governor's party. This must be particularly painful for party leader Wilfried Haslauer: Decisive elections were not only lost against newly formed lists, which Haslauer says established parties have a particularly hard time against. The SPÖ had much more to cheer about than the ÖVP.

Ahead of the EU elections in June and the National Council elections in the fall, the unrest in the ÖVP is now growing. Nobody wants to criticize openly, but behind closed doors there are already calls for personnel consequences.

Haslauer is aware of this. "As party leader, I am always responsible for the result," he says, defending his party headquarters. However, with regard to the process of reorganization that has already been initiated, he also says: "We also have to question ourselves organizationally."

The current election result has no impact on the timing of his handover to his designated successor Stefan Schnöll. "That has nothing to do with it," he says. It can be assumed that Haslauer at least wants to complete the party reform that has now begun. Results should be available by summer 2025.