"Krone" series on the election

The man who puts the chancellor in the right light

Bernhard Ebner (51) is responsible for the ÖVP election campaign.

(Bild: Holl Reinhard/Reinhard Holl)

Everyone knows the leading candidates. But who are the men and women who are pulling the strings in the background? The "Krone" presents the "masterminds in the second row". This time, ÖVP campaign manager Bernhard Ebner talks about polarization, faith and how he got to know Karl Nehammer.

When it comes to election campaigns, Bernhard Ebner is an old hand. Whether at municipal level, for the provincial parliament or at national council level - nothing shakes the 51-year-old so quickly. However, the ÖVP's chief election strategist has never seen an election campaign like the current one. "The current election campaign is characterized by an immense polarization that has developed over time," says Ebner in the "Krone" interview.