SPOÖ boss leaves

Retirement catches politicians of all colors “cold”

Two departures from the SPÖ in Upper Austria: while Michael Lindner left of his own free will, Klaus Luger (right) only vacated the office of Mayor of Linz under pressure

(Bild: MecGreenie Production OG)

After two years at the helm of the SPÖ in Upper Austria, Michael Lindner (41) is leaving politics behind at the end of the month. The decision for his family and against this career has "caught all politicians in the state - including those from his own party - off guard".

Nobody in Upper Austria's political landscape, neither in the SPÖ nor representatives of other parties were prepared for the departure of SPOÖ leader and state councillor Michael Lindner (41), which he officially announced on Saturday.

The news of Michael Lindner's resignation came as a surprise, but it is of course important to respect his personal decision.

Thomas Stelzer, Landeshauptmann und VP-Chef in Oberösterreich

"To be accepted"
"Surprised" was written in all the statements regarding the decision and timing, but less so regarding the reason: namely to have more time for his family. "The resignation is a signal of how important it is to share responsibility in the family and divide it up fairly," said his deputy Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

Working in top politics is a major challenge for families. Finding the right balance here is not easy.

Stefan Kaineder, Landessprecher der Grünen in OÖ und Landesrat

Chamber of Labor President and SPOÖ Deputy Party Leader Andreas Stangl: "The personal decision must be accepted. Unfortunately, the timing is right." SPOÖ club leader Sabine Engleitner-Neu said that "Lindner's decision is a human one. You don't find many people in top politics with young children who are able to reconcile work and family life."

The aim must be for the framework conditions to be such that politics and family are not an either-or, but a both-and.

Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Vize-SPOÖ-Vorsitzende und NR-Abgeordnete

Critical objection
FP city councillor Michael Raml from Linz is critical: "Despite all consideration for Lindner's private decision, we must not forget that the SPÖ is riddled with personnel failures, especially in the provincial capital of Linz and throughout the province. This leads to unpredictability."