Cheers from comrades

Provincial party conference: SPÖ launches election campaign

SPÖ Styria leader Anton Lang(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

The Styrian SPÖ officially kicked off its election campaign for the regional elections on November 24 with an extraordinary regional party conference at the Live Congress Leoben on Saturday. 500 guests, including 450 delegates, accepted the invitation. In the end, Lang was confirmed as the top candidate with 96 percent.

The guests were welcomed with jazz music from the RedPack and breakfast from 9 am. At 10.30 a.m., Lang and members of the provincial and national parliaments - including Doskozil supporter Max Lercher - marched in to "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac to a standing ovation.

Regional Managing Director Florian Seifter opened the party conference with motivating words: "We still have every chance of emerging from the election as the strongest force. Even if Governor (Christopher, note) Drexler is prematurely talking about a duel with Mario Kunasek: I understand that. He is doing it to reassure the functionaries. I hope he has succeeded."

Anton Lang(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Six weeks before the election, three parties - the ÖVP, SPÖ and FPÖ - are roughly on a par. "We, as we are here today, will make the difference in the coming weeks. And then it could be that we will be the strongest force in the country."

Regarding the proclaimed duel between the ÖVP and the FPÖ in the state election, top candidate Anton Lang said: "When two people fight, the third is happy. We have the best chance of coming first."

SPÖ regional business manager Florian Seifter(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Making family and full-time work compatible
Lang addressed childcare as a key issue: it needs to be expanded further so that "family and full-time work" are compatible again. In terms of migration, Lang sees problems: he called for a "mandatory language assessment for all three-year-olds". Those who do not speak German well enough should have to complete a compulsory second year of kindergarten in order to prevent problems in schools.

He continues to support the Liezen flagship hospital because all experts have spoken out in favor of it: "We have always been told that if the flagship hospital is not built, we will have a problem with healthcare in the entire district. But with us, there will be no more closures of KAGes hospitals in future," he assured.

"Wedges in society"
He had been talking about the "middle way" for years: "I am really worried about Styria. I sense that more and more wedges are being driven into society. I am the last person not to address problems openly." It is the SPÖ's job to solve these problems. "Inciting the others, playing people off against each other and luring them with false promises. That won't happen with us."

Wallner: "I'll vote for Toni"
In an entertaining and thoroughly amusing speech, Leoben's mayor Kurt Wallner led over to Lang: "People tell me on the street: 'I won't always vote for you, but I'll vote for Toni'." The head of the city said that many voters were "angry" with the ÖVP: "They are on the market and we have to invite them, because there are many overlaps with the ÖVP," Wallner continued.

Strong result for SPÖ leader causes jubilation
In the end, the officials were jubilant: top candidate Anton Lang received 96.09%. Behind him on the provincial list are the SPÖ's club chairman Hannes Schwarz, the second president of the provincial parliament Gabriele Kolar, FSG chairman Klaus Zenz, provincial councillor Ursula Lackner, the mayor of Bärnbach Jochen Bocksruker, provincial councillor Doris Kampus, the mayor of Neudau Wolfgang Dolesch, the ÖGB women's chairwoman Helga Ahrer and the mayor of Pöls-Oberkurzheim Gernot Esser.