Prammer SPÖ candidate

Luger successor: “I’m not a fair-weather politician”

Dietmar Prammer (SPÖ) is positioning himself for the mayoral election in Linz.

(Bild: Einöder Horst/@Flashpictures)

After the inglorious departure of Linz Mayor Klaus Luger, Dietmar Prammer is to make things right again for the SPÖ. On Monday, the district party executive officially selected him as the red candidate for mayor. On Tuesday, he announced a member vote and paid tribute to Luger's legacy for Linz.

"Klaus Luger's achievements for Linz are outstanding. He has a great track record, the city has developed well." The fact that the Mayor of Linz has only just stumbled across a lying affair in the course of the Brucknerhaus director Dietmar Kerschbaum case and had to resign is not evident from sentences like these. They were formulated by Luger's possible successor, city councillor Dietmar Prammer, on Tuesday during his first appearance in front of the assembled press following Luger's resignation announcement.

The day before, the SPÖ district party executive had nominated Prammer with 34 out of 35 votes (one was invalid) as the candidate for the mayoral election that had now become necessary.

"I am very disappointed about his behavior and the fact that he has put us in this situation."

Dietmar Prammer über den zurückgetretenen Bürgermeister und Linzer SPÖ-Chef Klaus Luger

Members resigned from the party
Luger's end certainly casts a shadow over his work, Prammer admitted. "I am very disappointed about his behavior and the fact that he got us into this situation." This is also likely to apply to other Social Democrats: According to district secretary Beate Gotthartsleitner, members have already left the party because of the Luger case - she would not say how many.

Member voting after the election
For Prammer, however, it is now time to "open a new chapter". He is ready for the office of mayor: "I am known for taking responsibility when the going gets tough. I lead the way, I'm not a fair-weather politician," is how the 49-year-old describes himself. The opinion and "hopefully clear support of our members" is important to him, which is why, at his express request, a member vote will take place, which is to start after the National Council elections. 

Mayoral election not until next year?
He could not yet say when the mayoral election would take place: "The municipal staff are currently working through the deadlines." However, Prammer let it be known that he is in no hurry - after all, his name recognition among the population is still in need of improvement. The election date is therefore not likely to be until next year: "We should give the people of Linz a breather after the National Council elections and then Advent will come."

Not Luger's "stable smell"
In terms of content, Prammer named five focal points with which he would like to score points as a mayoral candidate: work, housing, infrastructure, education and climate. He wants to continue the "fundamentally positive path of urban development". Prammer does not believe that he has the same "stable smell" because of this and his demonstrative closeness to Klaus Luger: "We are completely different in type." In addition, he is also "well connected beyond social democracy": in Catholic circles, for example, but also among environmentalists and anti-nuclear activists.

Support from Babler
Prammer also does not believe that the Luger/Brucknerhaus case will hurt him: "I am going into the election unencumbered". Unlike Luger, his possible successor is also keeping the door open to federal party leader Andreas Babler: "We spoke on the phone on Friday and assured each other of our mutual support." At the start of the SPÖ National Council election campaign on Thursday at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, there will "certainly also be a personal meeting" with Babler.