Zeiler on “ZiB 2”:

“If we don’t succeed, the extremists will win”

Gerhard Zeiler: Does the Federal SPÖ Want to Take Over from Andreas Babler?(Bild: APA/Florian Wieser)

Two days after revealing his desire to become head of the federal SPÖ on KronePLUS, media executive Gerhard Zeiler (71) has now also spoken about his plans on ORF.

Zeiler reaffirmed his ambitions for the SPÖ chairmanship and described the move as the result of a “long process.” The 71-year-old emphasized on Sunday evening in the “ZiB 2” studio that the party chairmanship would by no means fall to him automatically. “If we don’t manage to make social democracy strong, the extremists will win,” Zeiler warned.

“I am not a Marxist”
He clearly defined his position on policy: He stands for a business-friendly course, is “not a Marxist,” and is also “not a class warrior.” At the same time, he expressed confidence that there were many supporters of his candidacy within the SPÖ—they would “come around,” the studio guest said in response to a question from ORF journalist Margit Laufer (“Where are they, then?”). So far, onlythree former state governors had stepped forward.

Continue Implementing the SPÖ Platform
The party executive committee must decide on the next steps. It now needs to be clarified whether a party convention will be convened. Zeiler would withdraw only if a party convention denied him its support. He did not question the SPÖ’s work in government. He stands by the coalition and the joint platform, though there are still some unresolved issues regarding its implementation—such as childcare. Zeiler rejected the idea of separating the roles of party leader and vice chancellor.

“You’re just as impatient as I am, Ms. Laufer”
During the interview, Zeiler came across as quite moody; for example, he remarked,“You’re just as impatient as I am, Ms. Laufer,”when she brought up the possibility of a wealth tax. “We are the party of labor; we must ease the burden on workers,” he clarified. “We support everyone who works, but we shouldn’t support those who don’t want to work. We can’t afford that, and it’s also a matter of fairness.”

Three Political Priorities
The media executive and former ORF general director nevertheless outlined three key priorities for the SPÖ:

• The cost of living must come down, social housing must be expanded, and significantly more must be invested in education and health care—particularly in comprehensive schools.
• Regarding financing, the media executive sees potential for savings primarily in government subsidies. The federal government alone awards subsidies totaling around 31 billion euros; “significant savings” could be made there.
• Regarding an inheritance and wealth tax, Zeiler pointed out that there is currently no political majority in favor of it. Nevertheless, he does not want to end the debate on the issue. “Overall, I’m open to discussing an inheritance tax, but only if we don’t increase the public-sector share of the economy and, at the same time, every cent goes toward reducing the tax burden on labor.”

“Winning the Business Community Over to Climate Measures”
He rejected criticism from the business community regarding the planned climate bill. While the resistance is understandable given the economic pressure, he said, the fundamental approach taken by companies is short-sighted. With sufficient support, the business community could also be won over to support appropriate climate measures.

On krone.at on Friday, Zeiler announced his intention to replace Andreas Babler: “I am the right person to lead the party out of this historic low.” He spoke at length with Conny Bischofberger about his childhood in Vienna’s Ottakring district, scenarios for the Social Democratic Party, why he wouldn’t accept a single cent for a political office, his plans regarding the contentious issue of migration—and what sets him apart from Herbert Kickl’s FPÖ on this matter.