ÖVP Elects Federal Chancellor Stocker as Party Leader
The 65-year-old Stocker, who unexpectedly succeeded Karl Nehammer, is currently only acting as the interim party leader of the ÖVP. At the 41st regular party conference, four deputies for Stocker will also be elected - the election committee unanimously agreed on the individuals on Friday, the ÖVP announced. The federal finance officer is also to be elected.
ÖVP Elected Nehammer as Party Leader with 100 Percent in 2022
The election proposal for the deputies of the future ÖVP leader Stocker includes the future governor of Salzburg, Karoline Edtstadler, Upper Austria's governor Thomas Stelzer, EU parliamentarian Sophia Kircher, and the Vorarlberg club chairwoman Veronika Marte. ÖVP General Secretary Nico Marchetti highlighted the proportion of women: "With three out of four female deputy chairpersons and with a delegate female proportion of almost 50 percent, this federal party conference, alongside the anniversary year '80 Years of ÖVP', also signifies a positive change in the sense of the strong female influence of the People's Party."
Stocker cannot surpass the result of his predecessor in his election as chairman. Nehammer, who resigned after the failed initial negotiations for a three-party coalition, was elected party leader with 100 percent of the votes at an extraordinary party conference in 2022. In general, ÖVP leaders traditionally receive rather high results in their first chairman elections. Sebastian Kurz was elected in 2017 with 98.7 percent, Reinhold Mitterlehner in 2014 with 99.1 percent.
(APA/red)
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