Dispute in the regional ÖVP:

“Instead of a resignation, there was a step backwards”

ÖVP-Burgenland: After the election debacle, the house is in disarray.(Bild: P. Huber)

The ÖVP Burgenland is still seething. Wirtschaftsbund leader Peter Nemeth criticizes the latest personnel decisions. He cannot understand why Christian Sagartz remains at the head of the party.

The regional elections brought a historic debacle for the ÖVP. However, Christian Sagartz will remain head of the provincial party for the time being and will be a member of the provincial parliament. A working group has been set up to reorganize the party.

In addition to Sagartz, the members of the working group include Patrik Fazekas, the party's managing director, Thomas Steiner, the mayor of Eisenstadt, Christoph Zarits, a member of the National Council, Niki Berlakovich, the head of the Chamber of Agriculture, and Vanessa Tuder, the head of the JVP. No one from the Wirtschaftsbund is involved for the time being. "If necessary, the working group can be expanded," says Fazekas. The results of the reform process should be available by mid-June.

Wirtschaftsbund chairman Peter Nemeth criticizes the latest personnel decisions.(Bild: EMMERICH MAEDL)

"Would have known what to do"
Strong criticism comes from Wirtschaftsbund chairman Nemeth: "If you lose an election to this extent, I would have known what to do", he says about Sagartz remaining at the top of the party. Another annoyance: as reported, there is no representative of the Wirtschaftsbund in the new state parliamentary group. "That is regrettable. This means that there is no longer any economic expertise there," says Nemeth. There are now only representatives of the ÖAAB and the farmers' association in the state parliament, who have their own interests. "The ÖVP therefore lacks breadth," he concludes. In addition to the economy, more consideration should have been given to women and young people.

"Instead of a resignation, there was a step backwards," is how the chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund sums it up. And he can't resist another comment: "ÖVP obviously no longer stands for the Austrian People's Party, but for the Austrian Supply Party". The same people who were unsuccessful in the election are still at the helm. Nemeth hopes that the reform group will deliver results earlier than June. He expects that there may also be an early provincial party conference.

State party rejects criticism
"It is not our style to publicly express our opinions," says Fazekas in response to criticism from the Wirtschaftsbund. Every district and every sub-organization would have had the opportunity during the election campaign to support candidates in such a way that they would be elected to parliament. "The members of parliament who have now been elected will always represent the principles of the ÖVP - including, of course, our core issue of the economy," said the regional managing director.