SJ boss Stich and equal opportunities speaker Lindner must be shaking. It could be tight for Duzdar and Matznetter.
After some consideration, the SPÖ found a federal list for the National Council elections. According to party leader Andreas Popler, the personnel proposal presented today was unanimously accepted by the committees. He leads the field of candidates ahead of second National Council president Doris Bures and FSG boss Jozef Muchic. Paul Stich, leader of Socialist Youth, and Mario Lindner, the current spokesman for Equality, were placed on martial orders.
In a press conference after meetings of the presidium and board of directors, Babler emphasized that the top 10 is the “youngest list ever” with an average age of 44. The “great mind” was invented. Popler insisted he had “some” freedom to create the list. He used that too.
Muchitch and Mr
The club, which currently has 40 representatives, is under threat of significant reduction in view of current studies. About half never go in again. The SPÖ is expected to win five mandates through the federal list. The first goes to party leader Popler, who is not appointed in Lower Austria and therefore requires a federal mandate. On the other hand, the candidates in second place (Bures/Vienna), fourth (Women's President Eva Maria Holzleitner/Upper Austria) and fifth (Club Chairman Philipp Kucher/Carinthia) do not need a federal seat, as they are firmly in place. In the states.
This means that third-placed FSG boss Muchic, sixth-nominated deputy club president Julia Herr, head of the pro-Gee Union Reinhold Binder (seven) and Salzburg MP Mikaela Schmidt (eight) are just enough to get into the National Council. Things will be tight for former state secretary Muna Dustar, who is slated for the twelfth slot. Christoph Matznetter must also tremble.
Celebrities will be eliminated
A number of key representatives, such as former government members Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek and Alois Stöger, former federal executive director Andrea Kuntzl and former FSG boss Rainer Wimmer, are set to retire from politics. Katharina Kucharowitz is also leaving voluntarily, as will former federal executive director Max Lercher. Reinhold Einwallner and Christian Tropitz return to state politics. People like Harald Troch and Klaus Köchl are no longer represented by their state bodies.
Both the federal list and the state lists are finally decided in a “minor party convention”. All 24 ideas from Poplar's expert group will be presented at Saturday's federal party council in Wieselburg, federal executive director Klaus Cheldenheim said. By adding outside experts, the party was streamlined, Popler insisted. Creating concrete ideas on how to make this country a proud nation again. The council's work is not yet complete, and the process remains open, Cheldenheim stressed. (APA)
