First reactions

Duel for Styrian Red Cross leadership begins

Will Werner Weinhofer (right) remain Styrian Red Cross President or will he be replaced by Siegfried Schrittwieser?(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz, Jürgen Radspieler, Eveline Hronek, Krone KREATIV,)

The fact that SPÖ veteran Siegfried Schrittwieser is standing for election as Styrian Red Cross President with his prominent reform group and wants to replace incumbent Werner Weinhofer is providing plenty to talk about - also at a political level.

A new president will be elected at the General Assembly of the Styrian Red Cross at the beginning of June. This is not a big spectacle in itself and in recent years the outcome was predictable - after all, there was only one list to choose from. In 2019, the incumbent President Werner Weinhofer was last re-elected. 

This year, however, things are much more exciting, as Weinhofer's re-election is anything but a "gmahde Wiesn". In the last vote in 2019, he was the only candidate to receive a rather modest 59% of the vote. 

Reform group with prominent names
And now, as reported, a political heavyweight with four decades of Red Cross experience is entering the ring in the form of the former Red Deputy Governor Siegfried Schrittwieser. The "reform group", as Schrittwieser's list calls itself, also includes prominent Red Cross officials with SPÖ history, such as the former mayor of Bad Aussee, Otto Marl. 

Although this is not officially about party politics, the political dimension in the duel between the SPÖ veteran Schrittwieser and the ÖVP-affiliated Weinhofer cannot be denied. 

The current head of the Red Cross did not (yet) want to comment on Schrittwieser's candidacy when asked by "Krone". Just this much: he will also be standing for election and is currently working on putting together his list. 

"Parties should not interfere"
Political circles are also keeping a low profile. The office of ÖVP Health Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl, himself a long-time emergency doctor and closely associated with the Red Cross, says: "This choice is made by the many committed functionaries on the committees. Health Minister Dr. Karlheinz Kornhäusl will, of course, continue to work well with all those who bear responsibility at the Red Cross in the interests of healthcare for the people of Styria."

Styrian SPÖ leader Anton Lang, a long-time political companion of Schrittwieser, can "well understand his arguments and wishes him all the best for the election". Schrittwieser has earned many merits in his time as a politician and has also proven that he can implement good ideas. However, Lang also emphasized: "Politics and political parties should never interfere in the internal election processes of an organization like the Red Cross, which is so important for the well-being of the people of Styria."

Political or not - an exciting duel for the leadership of the largest Styrian aid organization is inevitable.