Following the Kampf election: newly appointed leader of the ÖVP in Vienna
After a hefty session of discussions, it's official – Markus Figl will be the new head honcho of the ÖVP in Vienna's provincial position. The news comes after a rough day for the ÖVP during the Vienna election on Sunday, where they slipped below the 10% mark and found themselves in a bit of a pickle.
For a while, it was ambiguous who would follow in the shoes of Spitzenkandidat Karl Mahrer as the Vienna party leader. As we all know, Mahrer repurposed his mandate on Monday afternoon and called it quits. He, in fact, put forward Markus Figl, the district mayor of the Inner City, as his successor. Not everyone in the Vienna People's Party was on board with this idea, with the Economic and Agricultural Chamber advocating for Daniel Resch, the district mayor of Doebling instead.
The voting commenced at 3:30 PM. The first round ended in a stalemate (12:12), necessitating further talks. Initial estimates indicated a final decision could be announced by 7 PM, but it took until 9 PM to reach a resolution. In the end, it was Figl who emerged victorious with 21 "yes" votes and just 3 "no"s. Despite being the favorite from the get-go, Figl also received backing from the federal ÖVP in the form of General Secretary Nico Marchetti.
Figl, Resch, and Walter Ruck will join hands for the upcoming exploratory talks with the SPO. Should the ÖVP manage to form part of the city government (signs currently point towards a Red-Pink continuation), Resch would earn a seat at the table.
Economic and social policy deliberations are expected to intensify as Mayor Markus Figl assumes the Vienna ÖVP provincial position following a contentious vote. Figl, the district mayor of the Inner City, was initially met with opposition from within the party, with Daniel Resch, district mayor of Doebling, being favored by the Economic and Agricultural Chamber. However, Figl managed to secure a narrow victor during the vote, receiving 21 "yes" votes and 3 "no"s. Despite Resch's backing from some within the party, it appears he may have to exit the political stage, at least temporarily, as Figl and the newly-elected officials meet with the SPO for exploratory talks, with signs pointing towards a Red-Pink continuation in Vienna's city government.
