Hattmannsdorfer's departure

The move to Vienna could solve these problems

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer with Manfred Haimbuchner

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer's move to Vienna is not only good for his own career, but also for the ÖVP. He is good with the blue party and is seen as a personnel reserve. However, many in the party believe that there is something deeper behind the change anyway.

It has been a very eventful week for state politics in Upper Austria: while the SPÖ around Chairman Michael Lindner hosted the Red Night on Thursday at Schlossberg in Linz, the phone lines within the ÖVP were red-hot. The resignation of Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer as state councillor for integration and social affairs forced state governor and OÖVP chairman Thomas Stelzer to act quickly.

Dörfel makes his move
As is well known, club chairman Christian Dörfel is taking over the social affairs portfolio, with business ally Margit Angerlehner succeeding him in the club. So far, so unspectacular. However, Hattmannsdorfer's departure for Vienna - he is running for the National Council in the prominent 5th place on the federal list and will become Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce - must also be evaluated from a strategic point of view. The ÖVP could solve several problems in advance with this move.

The LH question
The 44-year-old Linz politician Hattmannsdorfer is considered to be extremely ambitious. The student of Michael Strugl was long regarded as a fixed candidate for the succession to Governor Thomas Stelzer, which is certainly something to think about.

From ÖVP chauffeur to provincial managing director and, as the highlight to date, provincial councillor - Hattmannsdorfer has had a model career in black. For Stelzer, his departure is certainly a bit of a relief, as it takes some of the pressure off the succession issue.

Cooperation with the FPÖ
The future Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce has fewer problems with the Freedom Party. When the coalition in Upper Austria with the party of chairman Manfred Haimbuchner first came about in 2015, Hattmannsdorfer was one of the most important architects in the background.

And even if the ÖVP leader at the time, Josef Pühringer, didn't like it, the young troops in the party prevailed and forged a new path.

Concession to the "blues"
Hattmannsdorfer is now apparently also expected to do something similar at federal level: equipped with a top position on the list, his vote will also carry considerable weight in the fall when it comes to possible coalition negotiations with the blue party.

Many see the Linzer's move to Vienna as a concession to the FPÖ, which has maneuvered itself into a dead end with its no to Herbert Kickl . The name Hattmannsdorfer is unencumbered in Vienna, the axis to the powerful party friends in Lower Austria is given, after all Hattmannsdorfer is considered a confidant of Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf, who would like to succeed Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner sooner rather than later.

The iron reserve
With Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer as a member of the National Council, the ÖVP would have solved a problem before it even arises: Insiders assume that it will give the party a good shake-up at or especially after the election.

It is doubtful whether all the current players - from Chancellor Karl Nehammer downwards - will still be firmly in the saddle. With Hattmannsdorfer, there would be someone ready to step in. In any case, many in the party believe that the office in the Chamber of Commerce is a pretext and that there is something deeper behind the move to Vienna.