Is there more to it?

Former Chancellor Kern: “It’s just Rudi Fußi’s show”

Does Rudi Fußi's attempted coup actually have any other goal than to get himself elected as party leader? Christian Kern reacts annoyed to such rumors.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Is Rudolf Fußi's move to take over the leadership of the SPÖ actually intended to pave the way for another candidate? Former Chancellor Christian Kern loudly denies such a plan, saying he has nothing to do with it - and definitely does not want to succeed party leader Andreas Babler himself.

Christian Kern likes to appear calm and cool - most recently in the ORF program "Im Zentrum" with Claudia Reiterer, when the topic was the new possible government. Or at the party conference of the Burgenland SPÖ as the only guest (speaker).

Kern does not want to be the "governess"
In an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, Kern is no longer relaxed, but sounds slightly annoyed. No, the latest domestic political "nonsense" (Kern) is certainly not true. He is referring to the latest rumor that the former chancellor could be behind the self-proclaimed SPÖ party leader candidate Rudi Fußi, who wants to force a run-off election by collecting signatures against Andreas Babler. "This is just Rudi Fußi's show", Kern said verbatim.

Kern and Doskozil have close ties to the rebellious political advisor Fußi - both are said to want to lead the SPÖ despite denials.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

And: after all, he is not "the governess" of his former PR advisor. "In Vienna, some people talk more than they know," says Kern about the journalists and their possible sources in the SPÖ. He also denies having any personal ambitions for the job of party leader: "I definitely have not the slightest reason to want to become Andreas Babler's successor."

Kern is not disappearing from politics
However, he is still politically active for the SPÖ, on Friday he was the star guest and speaker at the party conference of the Burgenland SPÖ, he works as an advisor to Hans-Peter Doskozil. The fact that his party has fallen to third place in the polls naturally pains Kern. "We will have no choice but to reposition ourselves on two key issues: the issue of migration and economic policy."

However, the party also needs to be restructured and revived in the countryside: "In Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Styria, we need to rebuild, both in terms of content and organization, we need to become more relevant again."

The cities alone are not enough for the SPÖ
In other words: concentrating solely on well-educated city dwellers is not enough, as he knows from his own experience, says Kern. In Eisenstadt, he said that focusing on pensioners and the yoga teacher from Vienna Neubau was not enough. Kern had lived in the seventh district.

Burgenland and Vienna as role models
And: Burgenland's economic policy is a successful model. Nowhere else have average incomes risen so much in recent years, says Kern. Also thanks to the minimum wage. The fact that the Vienna SPÖ, which is at enmity with its Burgenland comrades, is also doing a lot of things right and that Vienna is therefore the most liveable city in the world is by no means a contradiction.

Both models should be combined into one big one. Perhaps Christian Kern will not become SPÖ leader, but SPÖ mediator. Perhaps that would be more necessary at the moment.