The Two Options

How Gerhard Zeiler Could Replace Andreas Babler

Gerhard Zeiler wants to become SPÖ leader.(Bild: Eva Manhart)

He made it official in the “Krone”: Gerhard Zeiler, an internationally experienced and recognized media executive, wants to become SPÖ leader and take over the party from Andreas Babler. According to the SPÖ’s federal party secretary, Klaus Seltenheim, there are two technical possibilities for this. What they are—and what Seltenheim himself expects.

Will he do it, or won’t he? As of Friday morning, it’s now clear: Gerhard Zeiler wants to become the new SPÖ leader and replace Andreas Babler. A bombshell from the SPÖ that has shaken the once-mighty party. An initial internal reaction states: “There are democratic processes within the SPÖ and an elected chairperson. If someone wants to run against the current chairperson, they can and must do so within the framework of the party’s bylaws. That implies a vote among the members.” The party expressed irritation at the use of the term “coup.” After all, the SPÖ practices democracy and does not follow the “model of a military junta.” 

But what are these “statutory options” that Zeiler must now exhaust to take office if, as expected, Babler does not resign? The “Krone” spoke with SPÖ Federal Executive Director Klaus Seltenheim about this—he identifies two options. 

The “Rudi Fußi Scenario”
What already applied to the flamboyant PR professional Rudi Fußi—once Christian Kern’s speechwriter and, as it happens, Babler’s hapless challenger—could now apply to Gerhard Zeiler: he must collect signatures. For a membership vote—which, according to Seltenheim, would be necessary—Zeiler would have to persuade ten percent of SPÖ members—depending on the exact total number—to sign in his favor. However, members would also have to provide their membership numbers.

For Fußi, 15,000 was considered the target; according to Seltenheim, the figure is now estimated to be “between 13,000 and 15,000.” The SPÖ members can then vote—just as they did in the three-way race between Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Hans Peter Doskozil, and Andreas Babler—from the comfort of their own living rooms. All party members will receive an email and/or a letter in which they can vote for Babler or Zeiler. 

Seltenheim expects a membership vote.(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Simple majority, fewer signatures
If Zeiler wants to spare himself this gauntlet, he must appeal to the federal party executive committee and convince a simple majority of the 47 executive committee members to hold a special party convention. As has been reported several times, Zeiler had already made his case in several federal states prior to his statement; as is well known, the leaders of those states are increasingly shying away from these bodies but are sending other comrades to act on their behalf there. If Zeiler succeeds in this, he would then only need to gather—again, depending on the exact number of members—one-hundredth of the signatures to be able to run against Babler there as well. This is explosive: it would, in a sense, open Pandora’s box—because at the special party convention, other party members could also have themselves nominated to run—and they, too, would then “only” have to collect between 1,300 and 1,500 signatures from members.

Seltenheim himself expects the decision to be made by the members. “After all, it was this federal party executive committee that nominated Andreas Babler for the party chairmanship,” he explains. 

Read the full interview with Conny Bischofberger this weekend on KronePLUS and in the print or e-paper edition of the Kronen Zeitung!