A portrait of Kunasek

A non-commissioned officer on his way to becoming provincial governor

Stefan Hermann and Mario Kunasek on their way to the first press conference on Monday after the provincial elections.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Mario Kunasek becomes the first FPÖ governor of Styria. He was a soldier, defense minister and is now at the peak of his political power. What he has in common with Elke Kahr and what has shaped him on his way to the top.

Who would have thought that the Trieste housing estate in the Gries district of Graz, a notorious neighborhood considered a social hotspot, would produce two of the most remarkable politicians of our time? Perhaps Elke Kahr, the communist mayor of Graz, and Mario Kunasek, soon to be the first liberal state governor, will discuss this during their inaugural visit.