SPÖ Presidium Met for Hours on Government Program

The coalition agreement between ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS is to be signed on Thursday. On Friday, the SPÖ party executive will also decide on the personnel package of the Social Democrats. Currently, it is difficult to predict which names will ultimately appear on it. The powerful Vienna SPÖ and party leader Andreas Babler have different ideas. However, it is expected that a compromise can be found.

SPÖ Presidium: Rumors About Ministry Distribution

Only two things are actually fixed in the red team. Women's leader Eva Maria Holzleitner is to take over the Ministry of Women and probably also the science agendas, and ÖGB Vice Korinna Schumann is to take over the Ministry of Social Affairs after the early withdrawal of GPA leader Barbara Teiber. That Babler will become Vice Chancellor is, of course, clear. However, it is not yet fixed which functions he will take on in addition. Recently, the rumor arose that he is not considering culture, sports, and media as expected but could lead the powerful but also time-consuming infrastructure department. This would leave no room for the Lower Austrian state leader Sven Hergovich, with whom Babler is anything but friendly, but who enjoys the strong support of the Third President of the National Council, Doris Bures. As an alternative to Babler, the ÖBB manager Silvia Angelo, who comes from the ÖGB, is also being considered.

Who Will Be SPÖ Finance Minister?

If the party leader himself took over, the culture and media agendas would be free, which could then be offered to the former ORF chief Alexander Wrabetz. However, he is the candidate of the powerful Vienna city party for the finance department. But here too, Babler has other plans and wants to install a confidante in this central position, namely the Salzburg National Council member Michaela Schmidt. Although she is considered quite competent, she does not necessarily have the best standing with ÖVP and NEOS. As a compromise candidate, Vienna's Finance City Councilor Peter Hanke has recently emerged, who could also be considered for the infrastructure department.

It will also be difficult for Babler to push through the former State Secretary for Integration, Muna Duzdar, for the Ministry of Justice. Although the early supporter of Babler is from Vienna, she is so poorly regarded in the city party that she was not even offered promising places for the National Council election. Additionally, the lawyer has already caused negative headlines with a controversial post regarding the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, where she openly blamed NATO for the situation. Instead of her, Judge Oliver Scheiber could come into play. Duzdar is therefore also being considered for a state secretariat either for media or integration. Federal Managing Director Sandra Breitenebner is also in discussion for this.

Vienna's Mayor Ludwig: "No Dispute" in SPÖ Presidium

Vienna's Mayor and State Party Leader Michael Ludwig, who is considered Babler's opponent in the post question, emphasized upon his arrival at the meeting in Parliament that there is currently no dispute over posts because they are now discussing content. When asked about Wrabetz or Vienna's Finance City Councilor Hanke as possible ministers, Ludwig said both are excellent experts. That Babler is supposed to favor Schmidt as finance minister, "I have not heard from him yet." Schmidt herself did not comment upon her arrival. EU delegation leader Andreas Schieder, himself a former finance state secretary, and the interim head of the Upper Austrian state party Alois Stöger also did not want to comment on personnel matters. Club Vice Philip Kucher said he only hears about the personnel speculations in the media, as he comes directly from coalition negotiations - and there it is about substantive positions. He hopes that the government program will be available soon, "the sooner the better."

(APA/Red)

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