For tens of thousands of euros

Red club leader advertises with black portfolios

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

The election campaign in Styria has long since begun. SPÖ party leader Hannes Schwarz is not letting himself be outdone in his image campaign. A fact that leaves many comrades with questioning looks, especially as he mostly uses successes in ÖVP departments for his charm offensive.

Officially, no one in any political office wants to know anything about an election campaign - but in reality, of course, it has long been underway. The proof of this smiles back at us every day, more or less boldly, in all kinds of colors from a billboard. 

SPÖ party chairman Hannes Schwarz has apparently started the election year with particular ambition. Previously only known to political insiders, the Leoben native is now apparently pushing himself into the limelight. In recent days and weeks, his likeness has repeatedly adorned large print and online editions of various newspapers. Even party leader and Deputy Governor Anton Lang has been left behind. If you do the math, tens of thousands of euros have been spent on this in the last two weeks alone.

No SPÖ successes?
It is striking that with slogans (if there is any space at all next to the club chairman's portrait) such as "Improvements in kindergartens and crèches" or "More pay for healthcare staff", he has so far only advertised the successes of Schwarz's departments (in this case Werner Amon and Karlheinz Kornhäusl). Observers see Schwarz's campaign as a clear indication that he is positioning himself and wants to show that he is ready for higher office. 

Ursula Lackner is no longer uncontroversial within the party either.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

SPÖ reshuffle before the election?
SPÖ State Councillor for the Environment Ursula Lackner has long been considered a candidate for replacement. Despite various missteps and scandals in her department (keyword department 13!), Lang has stuck with her so far. Does Schwarz now see his hour has come? Will the SPÖ even reshuffle its government team before the election? The SPÖ party headquarters are quick to dismiss such speculation. "It's just a campaign by the club chairman to show the Social Democratic signature in the government's work," was the succinct response to an inquiry from Krone.

"Urgent" because of pension scandal
The "Krone" story about the millions missing from the provincial teachers' pension fund caused quite a stir. Above all, it was reported that following the internal audit, a civil servant is now being targeted who claims to have acted on instructions from the office of the former provincial education councillor Julian Bogner-Strauß (ÖVP). An allegation that is, of course, not substantiated. FPÖ education spokesperson Stefan Hermann is now calling for a "complete clarification of the incidents".

Neos club leader Niko Swatek is even going one step further and will confront the current state councillor Werner Amon with an urgent question. "The state government has caused millions in damage to teachers, either deliberately or through incompetence," Swatek shakes his head.