Survey and interview

Upper Austria: Is the ÖVP provincial governor wobbling here too?

Thomas Stelzer (left) is governor, Florian Hiegelsdberger manages the party for him. The black state party secretary negotiates the asylum and migration chapter in Vienna.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

The ÖVP is currently experiencing difficult times: The party is losing one election after another; in Upper Austria, the Freedom Party was ahead of the provincial governor's party in the EU and National Council elections. The "Krone" asked party manager Florian Hielgelsberger: "Is the ÖVP afraid of losing the next governor?"

"Krone": Mr. Hiegelsberger, things are grinding to a halt in the government negotiations. ÖVP leader Nehammer has threatened to end the talks with the SPÖ. What is the mood in the party?
Florian Hiegelsberger: A coalition can only work if the party leaders have a common view of the challenges. Solutions are needed, which is why intensive negotiations are taking place. I myself am negotiating in the asylum and migration subgroup. There we have this common view of the challenges.