Unofficial politics

Internal party crises as a burden for the government

LH Mattle's support for candidate Thaler in the WB power struggle is said to be one of the reasons why the relationship between Mattle and Economic Councillor Gerber (right) is allegedly not the best at the moment.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer, Land Tirol)

In the ÖVP, things are no longer as harmonious between members of the government as they once were. The same is true within the SPÖ, where going it alone is becoming an issue.

You can cause crises, but you don't always have to. Some simply arise of their own accord. Such as those in politics. Well, this sector feels like it is in permanent crisis mode. But not because the opposition parties say no to everything the government proposes, that's nothing new, but simply the role of an opposition party. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Anything that comes from the opposition is automatically "yikes", whereas anything that comes from the government's own ranks of officials is always "yikes".

However, a crisis becomes more exciting when things are no longer running smoothly within the government (we have been experiencing this nationwide for what feels like forever), the harmony of the smooth-running engine is disrupted by misfires and misfires, and the (often feigned) harmony suddenly no longer exists.

According to reports, things are not particularly harmonious in the Tyrolean state government at the moment.

(Bild: Die Fotografen)

Wirtschaftsbund election left its mark
According to persistent rumors, this is currently the case internally with both coalition partners, i.e. both the ÖVP and the SPÖ. In the ÖVP, things have allegedly been going wrong since the inglorious scandal surrounding the election of the new head of the Economic Association. It is said that State Economic Councillor Mario Gerber has still not fully digested his defeat against WK President Barbara Thaler. Above all, however, because he feels let down by Governor Anton Mattle. It is said that he has been pushing Thaler (both internally and externally). It is said that communication between the two is not the best at the moment.

Dispute over personnel decisions
State Social Welfare Councillor Cornelia Hagele, who had openly campaigned for Gerber, is also said to be "not amused". There is said to have been more harmony between her and Mattle in the past. This internal dispute is said to have reached such an extent that little or nothing is being done about one or two personnel decisions in the Landhaus at the moment. For example, the successor to Gerhard Föger, head of the tourism department, who is due to retire in the middle of the year. Gerber stubbornly rejects an alleged preferred candidate. He certainly does not want to have one of the most important civil servants in his area of responsibility simply put in front of him.

However, there are also rumblings surrounding Tyrol's 2nd Deputy Governor Josef Geisler, who is the longest-serving member of the government and has been in power since 2013. Geisler is said to be "counted out". There are even rumors that the Zillertal native will not complete the entire term and that Josef Hechenberger, President of the Chamber of Agriculture and currently still a member of the National Council, will finally achieve his long-cherished goal and move up to the government bench.

Georg Dornauer (right) has recently moved far away from SP federal party leader Andreas Babler in terms of content.

(Bild: APA/EXPA/ERICH SPIESS)

There is also a crisis in the SPÖ
Things are not said to be much better in the coalition partner SPÖ. Internally, it is repeatedly said that SPÖ leader Georg Dornauer goes it alone too much and too often goes public with ideas that have only been agreed with his office manager Andreas Glätzle. Most recently, for example, with the asylum quota, where he surprised not only federal party leader Andreas Babler. The fact that Dornauer easily shrugs off criticism from the Jusos is not an issue. His relationship with René Zumtobel, the regional councillor for transport, is also said not to be the best, but it is said that the two never really clicked anyway.

Of course, these are all just unofficial rumors that can be heard from the far reaches of the Landhaus corridors in Innsbruck. They fall into the category of "fabricated crises" and have nothing to do with the well-functioning provincial government...