Christian Stocker is officially ÖVP Leader: 98.42% at the Party Congress

At a regular federal party conference of the ÖVP on Saturday in his hometown of Wiener Neustadt, Stocker was elected as the federal party chairman with 98.42 percent of the votes. After the turbulent months since the national election, the People's Party aimed to demonstrate unity at the party conference.

This was already expressed with the prominent lineup of participants: All party leaders of the last three decades - with the exception of Reinhold Mitterlehner - sat in the front row of the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt, which was lined with black fabric and illuminated in turquoise, led by former chancellors Wolfgang Schüssel, Sebastian Kurz, and Karl Nehammer. The latter was given the opportunity for an emotional farewell speech. One of his best decisions, he said, was appointing Stocker as secretary-general.

Stocker expressed satisfaction with his election result, even though he did not achieve the result of his predecessor Nehammer. That was, of course, a high bar, as Nehammer had been elected party leader with 100 percent of the votes at an extraordinary party conference in 2022. The results for ÖVP leaders are traditionally rather high in their first chairman elections. Stocker's approval was slightly below that of Kurz, who received 98.72 percent in his first election in 2017, with 98.42 percent.

Stocker wants "a country where law does not stem from religion"

The former secretary-general appeared routine in his party conference speech and, in line with his new chancellor role, calm and conciliatory. He emphasized that he, like most others in the room, had not considered his election possible just a few weeks ago. As his vision for the future, Stocker outlined "a country where performance, diligence, and commitment are valued and respected," where people look out for each other but do not exploit one another, "a country of science and not conspiracy theory," and "a country where law stems from the people and not from religion."

He drew a clear line against the FPÖ and its leader Herbert Kickl. Kickl's role model, he said, was US President Donald Trump. "But I am not a partner for an Austria that becomes Trump-like," he explained the failure of coalition negotiations with the Freedom Party. What Kickl had not achieved, namely "reinventing himself," had been achieved by "the NEOS, the SPÖ, and also us." In the coalition, they give each other space and allow each other successes.

Regaining first place as a goal

The new Secretary General Nico Marchetti set the goal that "the ÖVP will become number one again in the next national election." To achieve this, he urged the delegates to "allow change," emphasizing that the support for the ÖVP leadership must be "reliable and sustainable" even after the party congress. Because "the magic of the beginning does not last forever," Marchetti warned.

ÖVP parliamentary group leader August Wöginger created a lively atmosphere with humorous bon mots from the coalition negotiations with the FPÖ. For instance, they did not allow any English words, which is why the community nurses had to be referred to as municipal sisters. Regarding the current three-party coalition, Wöginger commented: "The child is alive, it is developing well. Three are taking care of it, maybe that's an advantage too."

Stocker and Kurz as Photo Motifs

The regular 41st party congress was marked by the 80th anniversary of the People's Party, founded in 1945. Life-sized cardboard figures were used to commemorate the 18 party leaders since 1945. The most popular photo motif was Stocker. But many fans, apparently still present in the party, also had their pictures taken with former Chancellor Kurz upon arrival.

In addition to Stocker, his four deputies were also elected: Upper Austria's Governor Thomas Stelzer with 97.52 percent, Vorarlberg's parliamentary group leader Veronika Marte with 97.74 percent - both had already held this role previously - as well as the new future Governor of Salzburg Karoline Edtstadler with 98.19 percent and EU Parliamentarian Sophia Kircher with 97.52 percent.

Criticism came as expected from the FPÖ. The blue Secretary General Christian Hafenecker described in a statement a "bizarre show from a parallel universe detached from reality and the population." What the ÖVP celebrated as "New Paths. Right Decisions" means for Austrians a "continuation as before - only worse."

(APA/Red)

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