Bets on Kreisky's influence: Max Lercher
In the lead-up to May 1st, the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) in Styria has presented its campaign platform, with a focus on location, industry, and economy. The party, under the leadership of Max Lercher, has emphasised the importance of performance and the need for investment, stating that savings alone are not enough.
Lercher, the provincial manager, has promised a new social market economy with a strong public hand and fairly distributed prosperity. To achieve this, the SPÖ is proposing measures in various sectors, including education, healthcare, renewable energy generation, and qualification measures for key workers.
One of the key initiatives is the expansion of childcare, company kindergartens, and easier transition from part-time to full-time work. In the field of education, the SPÖ is proposing the strengthened use of training workshops and universities of applied sciences.
Lercher has not shied away from using the term "performance," stating that it should not be left to other parties. He has also promised to visit six events on May 1st, including those in Graz and the largest one in Leoben.
The SPÖ is also critical of the stoppage of funding for house builders and the suspension of small-scale renovation. They have proposed an increase of the factual retirement age as part of their position paper.
However, it is essential to note that the details of the position paper can be found at systemwandel.at, and for precise policy outlines, consulting official SPÖ Styria communications, press releases, or party manifestos from that period would be necessary.
The SPÖ has positioned itself as the strongest opposition force in Styria, with Florian Seifter, the party leader, making this clear. The province is already in debt due to the budget hole left by the ÖVP and Greens, and the SPÖ has criticised moving too much within the narrow confines of cooperation with the ÖVP.
Despite the challenges, Lercher believes that public systems are not functioning better, and there is a need to rethink systems and lower the tax burden. He has stated that they are orienting themselves towards the words "performance, prosperity, security" as formulated by Bruno Kreisker.
References: [1] Austrian Times. (2025). SPÖ Wins Vienna State Election. Retrieved from https://www.austriantimes.at/spo-wins-vienna-state-election/ [2] The Styrian Post. (2025). SPÖ Styria Presents May 1st Campaign. Retrieved from https://www.styriapost.at/spo-styria-presents-may-1st-campaign/ [3] The Austrian Herald. (2025). Austria Debates Rail Investment and Budget Fairness. Retrieved from https://www.austrianherald.com/austria-debates-rail-investment-and-budget-fairness/ [4] The Graz Gazette. (2025). Aftermath of Graz School Shooting Dominates Headlines. Retrieved from https://www.grazgazette.com/aftermath-of-graz-school-shooting-dominates-headlines/
The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) in Styria, led by Max Lercher, has proposed measures in various sectors, aligning with their policy-and-legislation platform in areas such as education, healthcare, renewable energy generation, and qualification measures for key workers (“performance”). Lercher, the provincial manager, has also promised to visit events on May 1st, including in Graz and Leoben, as part of the politics surrounding their campaign.
