"New life"

Nehammer starts political retirement at the dining room table

Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer ends his political career with his signature. His successor in parliament has been clear since Tuesday.(Bild: facebook.com/nehammerkarl)

On Tuesday, former Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) officially retired from active politics - by resigning his seat in the National Council. He signed the declaration of resignation on his private dining room table. 

More than two weeks after the failure of the coalition negotiations with the SPÖ and his resignation as Federal Chancellor and ÖVP leader, Karl Nehammer has officially returned to politics. But only to confirm his final retirement from politics on social media.

"New chapter in my life"
"A new chapter in my life is beginning. By resigning my seat on the National Council, I am ending my active political work. I am very grateful for the many encounters and friendships that have developed during this time, even across party boundaries. My family and I are looking forward to our new life," he wrote in his post. A picture shows him sitting at his dining room table, where he sealed his political exit with his signature.

My family and I are looking forward to our new life.

Karl Nerhammer

Professional future unclear
It is not yet known what Nehammer will do professionally in the future. What is certain, however, is that his seat in the National Council will go to Johanna Jachs in a roundabout way. The 33-year-old lawyer already sat in parliament from 2017 until the National Council elections last year.

Jachs comes in for Nehammer
Technically, Jachs will enter the National Council via an Upper Austrian regional constituency mandate. State Secretary Claudia Plakolm gave this up and took over Nehammer's seat from the federal list.

Irene Neumann-Hartberger is the quasi-sufferer. She would have received the seat if the People's Party had simply taken the next person on the federal list. However, as the seat of the designated Governor of Salzburg, Karoline Edtstadler, will also become vacant in the foreseeable future, it should still be possible for the Lower Austrian to return to the House.

Further successors still possible
If the government is successfully formed, one or two more changes could be made. This would open up opportunities for former education spokesman Rudolf Taschner and neo-Secretary-General Alexander Pröll.

Wöginger re-elected as ÖVP parliamentary group chairman
Incidentally, Nehammer's successor as ÖVP parliamentary group chairman has also been decided. August Wöginger, who has only been acting chairman since the election, will take over. He was unanimously elected by the club to head it.