In 1st and 2nd place

ÖVP nominates Plakolm and Wöginger as top duo

Upper Austria's Governor Thomas Stelzer (center) sends State Secretary Claudia Plakolm and Club Chairman August Wöginger into the election as the leading duo.

(Bild: Dostal Harald/Harald Dostal)

The ÖVP Upper Austria is to remain as it is: as in 2017 and 2019, the ÖVP Upper Austria is once again going into this year's National Council elections with club leader August Wöginger at the helm and State Secretary Claudia Plakolm as number two on the state list.

Instead of eleven, there could only be between seven and nine mandataries from Upper Austria in the coming legislative period, with the leadership duo of Wöginger/Plakolm likely to be secured via the federal list. It can be assumed that two candidates from the state list will make it into parliament, as well as one person from each of the constituency lists.

It will be tight for Jachs, Saxinger and Hofinger
It is likely to be a tight race for Manfred Hofinger, fifth on the state list and third on the Innviertel constituency list with Wöginger at the top, and Werner Saxinger, seventh on the state list and third on the Linz and surrounding area constituency list. It is also not yet certain that candidate Johanna Jachs will remain in the National Council in sixth place on the provincial list and third place on the Mühlviertel constituency list, which Plakolm heads.

Admonition to green coalition partner
Wöginger was optimistic that the "ÖVP will cross the finish line first" in the election. Plakolm said that her party would stand up for those "who don't bury their heads in the sand, but take their feet in their hands", she said. Governor Thomas Stelzer warned the coalition partner in the federal government that after the "recent turbulence" caused by Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), the government must remain workable over the summer: "People don't want a fight."