The federal party and the Vienna state party celebrate their premieres: not only did Michael Ludwig stand for re-election at the Vienna trade fair on Saturday, but the start of the EU election campaign was also celebrated. Ludwig saw this as a sign of “connection”. He pledged his support to Poplar.
Donuts, croissants and coffee were quickly bought from the buffet, before which long queues formed by 8.45am. A small breakfast gives you an extra boost of energy, which makes you more energetic just before the day's event begins. At 9.18 the organizer finally takes the stage at the Vienna Trade Fair. SPÖ Vienna's regional party conference was officially opened when Barbara Novák gave “a wonderful welcome” to “all comrades”. “In Vienna we stand for a fair Europe,” read a red banner on the platform. Chamber of Labor president Andrea Anderle's first cheer is a welcome “Whoah.”
The party congress of the SPÖ's most important state organization is taking place this Saturday under a special slogan: for the first time, it is being held as a kind of hybrid, as it is not just the red state leadership that is contesting again. Election. It also serves as a stage for the start of the Federal Party's EU election campaign. Andreas Schieder wants to come first, setting the 2019 result (23.9 percent) on June 9. But according to current survey it is untrue. At least the five mandates in the European Social Democratic Party, which has 140 of the 705 seats, must be retained. All the candidates from the SPÖ electoral list for the EU elections arrived in Vienna on Saturday to join forces and prevent a crucial EU majority in Brussels, but none of the well-known names except Schieder and Regner.
EU Commissioner Schmidt as guest
It's “a little different than usual” today, says host Sonja Gatto at the start. So is the appearance of the “star guests”. It lasted nearly a quarter of an hour with constant applause, shouts of “hoo” and standing ovations. EU lead candidate Andreas Schieder and Evelyn Regner, vice-president of the EU Parliament, enter the hall flanked by the EU commissioner and Nicolas Schmitt, the EU-wide lead candidate of the European Social Democrats. Earlier in the evening, Schmidt had been greeted by Michael Ludwig in the town hall office, where they had exchanged ideas over beer. Ludwig finally moves in with SPÖ federal party leader Andreas Popler and National Council president Doris Bures, who is running as the top candidate of the Vienna Reds in the National Council elections.
