Showdown on Sunday

Power Struggle Over Planned State Party Leaders’ Summit in the SPÖ

A sense of crisis prevails at party headquarters on Löwelstraße. It could also serve as the venue for the state leaders’ summit.(Bild: Imre Antal)

The power struggle within the SPÖ is coming to a head. Current SPÖ leader Andreas Babler wants to attend the summit of SPÖ state party leaders—which was actually planned without him—and has invited the state party leaders to Vienna on Sunday. The state party leaders intend to accept the invitation—but first want to coordinate their positions. One thing is clear: An extraordinary party convention could take place as early as October. 

The phones are ringing off the hook among SPÖ leaders across Austria. That’s because the power struggle between party leader Andreas Babler and challenger Gerhard Zeiler for the SPÖ leadership is now coming to an unexpected early showdown—only the location remains to be determined. The summit of SPÖ state leaders, called for by Carinthia’s Governor Daniel Fellner, is now scheduled to take place at 4 p.m.

However, it wasn’t those who were supposed to attend who set this date—it was the federal party leadership on Löwelstraße. After it became clear—as reported by the “Krone”—that the meeting planned by Fellner would take place, the state party leaders were actually in the process of coordinating a date. Carinthia was being floated as a possible location, since it was Fellner who had initiated the idea. On Wednesday morning, however, an email from federal party executive director Klaus Seltenheim landed in their inboxes.

Babler went on the counteroffensive
In it, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler extended an invitation to hold the summit in Vienna on Sunday. In the presence of Babler and Seltenheim, the outstanding issues regarding the party’s bylaws—such as how to organize a special party convention—would be clarified, and the “events of the past few days” would be “put into perspective,” the email essentially stated. Fellner had indeed set the goal that “all candidates, regardless of whether they currently hold office or are running for it, present their political vision, their team, and their strategy to the members.” Three hours have now been set aside for this on Sunday.

State party leaders respond promptly
In doing so, Babler actually preempted the state parties, which tend to be sympathetic to Zeiler. Nevertheless, this could backfire—and the meeting could turn into a showdown. As the “Krone” has learned, the state party leaders are generally willing to accept Babler’s invitation—but they intend to “coordinate” beforehand and under no circumstances allow themselves to be caught off guard.