Innsbruck election 2024

Tursky beats the drum at the kick-off: “Willi or me

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Zwefo/Krone KREATIV)

Mayoral candidate Florian Tursky in front of more than 800 supporters at the Congress in Innsbruck: "Keep it up or make a fresh start" - many grandees were there, including Schüssel: "I'm a fan of Florian."

The civic alliance "das Neue Innsbruck" with mayoral candidate and now outgoing ÖVP State Secretary Florian Tursky kicked off the intensive phase of the election campaign for the municipal elections on April 14 with a large kick-off event in front of more than 800 supporters at the Innsbruck Congress on Monday evening. Tursky invoked the direct duel with Green mayor Georg Willi: "Willi or me. Keep it up or make a fresh start."

Florian Tursky

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

"No more than three candidates"
In his almost 30-minute speech in the Dogana hall, Tursky played the compassionate doer who wants to lead the Tyrolean capital back to its former strength with vision after "six lost years" under Willi. There are "no more than three candidates who have a chance of winning the mayoral run-off", explained Tursky, referring - as he did at a poster presentation two weeks ago - to himself, Willi and FPÖ mayoral candidate Markus Lassenberger, although he obviously sees Willi as his strongest rival. He did not include the renegade former ÖVP deputy mayor Johannes Anzengruber, who is running with his own list, and as before did not mention him by name.

"Marching together"
Innsbruck needs a civic mayor again. "Someone who can do it, not just wants to," said Tursky, who announced his retirement as State Secretary for Digitalization this week, calling for a duel with Willi. However, the 35-year-old warned his supporters that they would have to "stick together and march together" in the coming weeks - "and I am also saying this in ÖVP circles".

"This mayor can't do it", Tursky attacked Willi head-on. He said that there were failures everywhere and that Innsbruck had lost much of its status as a "world city" over the past six years. The provincial capital was "not a location for political experiments". The recent "free play of forces" had failed. Innsbruck needs "governability" and a "mayor who sets the course". He will be the latter.

Georg Willi

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

There were also plenty of jibes and side blows at the ruling Greens and Willi. They had managed to ensure that there were now "more demonstrations than tourist groups" in Innsbruck's boulevard, Maria-Theresien-Straße.

Schüssel: "Fan of Florian"
The launch of "das Neue Innsbruck" in the Congress turned into a small provincial party conference of the Tyrolean ÖVP. Everything was on offer, including prominent names, to give wings to Tursky, who is lagging behind in the polls. Former Federal Chancellor and ÖVP chairman Wolfgang Schüssel acted as a kind of "whip", and his appearance directly in front of Tursky was highly acclaimed. "I'm a fan of Florian. Florian can do it", Schüssel said in his 15-minute speech. He could cover "not just one topic", but was broadly positioned. "Origin and future" - that is what characterizes the people of Innsbruck and Tyrol - and Tursky can guarantee that.

"I am a fan of Florian. Florian can do that"

Altbundeskanzler Wolfgang Schüssel

The 35-year-old Tursky - former office manager of Tyrol's former governor Günther Platter, who, like his predecessors Herwig van Staa and Wendelin Weingartner, was also present - announced his candidacy at the end of September last year and declared that he would return to Tyrol politically after the election. Prior to this, a reunification of the ÖVP and the former split-off party "Für Innsbruck" had been forged for months. In the end, the orange "Das Neue Innsbruck" was launched, which is supported by the two groups and the Seniors' Association.