Black outrage

Overthrow in Mödling: Green and Red serve up ÖVP

Will have to vacate the mayor's seat: ÖVP city leader Michael Daninger(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

That happened quickly: Barely a day and a half after the local council elections, everything is different in Mödling. The Greens and Social Democrats have agreed on a coalition. The ÖVP, the party with the most votes, has been pushed to the political sidelines. The Blacks are very angry.

At 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, it was sealed that Michael Danzinger would go down in Mödling's town history as a short-term mayor for the time being. At this time, SPÖ city councillor Stephan Schimanowa informed the ÖVP city leader, who had only been elected to this position the previous year, that the cooperation between the two parties had ended.

Opportunity for new majorities
As the third-placed party, the Social Democrats had apparently seized the opportunity and formed a coalition with the Greens. The ÖVP's heavy losses - it lost around ten percent and had to give up four seats, but remained in first place by a narrow margin - opened up the possibility of new majorities.

SPÖ top candidate Silvia Drechsler (with microphone) gives the ÖVP the cold shoulder.(Bild: SPÖ Mödling)

Coalition of change
Both the Reds and the Greens interpret the election result as a "popular desire for change". Rainer Praschak (Greens) also identifies "many similar ideas for the future of the city" between the two parties. A basic coalition agreement has already been concluded and the details of the cooperation will be negotiated in the coming days.

Half-and-half in the mayor's office
However, a half-time solution for the mayor's office should already be in place. It is rumored that Silvia Drechsler, the SPÖ's top candidate, will be the first in line. After two and a half years, Green Party leader Praschak will move into the mayor's seat.

Rainer Praschak (Greens) is aiming for a future as half-time mayor.(Bild: Bernhard Garaus)

Handshake apparently did not count
The ÖVP is outraged. "We are being robbed of our victory as the party with the most votes," rages (still) mayor Michael Danzinger. He is disappointed with the Social Democrats. After all, they had agreed in writing to continue working together as soon as they jointly achieved 22 seats. This had been renegotiated verbally on Monday and confirmed with a handshake. On Tuesday, however, this apparently no longer counted. Danziner commented: "If this is how the people who will govern Mödling in the future act, then good night!"