Candy drumbeat

Well boom! Former ÖVP minister negotiates for NEOS

Prominent personnel in pink! Andrea Kdolsky, the former Health and Family Minister of the People's Party, is now entering the negotiating ring for the NEOS. The 62-year-old doctor is considered to be a reformist - but also very argumentative.

Kdolsky was minister from January 2007 to December 2008 and is now negotiating the health aspects with the ÖVP and SPÖ on behalf of the NEOS.

"Yes, I am in the negotiating team"
"Yes, I am in the negotiating team and we are currently working on creating processes and clusters," the hospital manager and business consultant in the healthcare sector confirmed to the "Krone" newspaper.

"Roast pork" naysayer 
During her time as a minister, the colorful and controversial former politician caused a stir with statements about her penchant for "roast pork" and the distribution of condoms in schools. A healthcare reform prepared by Kdolsky in 2008 led to intense domestic political controversy and was also partly responsible for the break-up of the ÖVP coalition with the SPÖ under Alfred Gusenbauer.

Kdolsky resigned from the ÖVP in March 2023
The 62-year-old Viennese had already drawn up care concepts for the NEOS several years ago. After the ÖVP entered into a coalition with the FPÖ in Lower Austria, Kdolsky resigned from the People's Party in March 2023.

The coming weeks will be intense. All parties should have nominated their teams by the end of this week - intensive negotiations will then begin next week, says Kdolsky.