Lindner successor

SPÖ presents Stöger as interim leader

Alois Stöger is taking over the SPÖ Upper Austria on an interim basis.

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

Two days after Michael Lindner announced his resignation as chairman of the Upper Austrian SPÖ, the party today presented former minister Alois Stöger as his interim successor, as expected. Koppler, the party's regional managing director, did not want to give rise to speculation as to who would lead the party in future. 

The SPÖ was caught off guard by Lindner's withdrawal; the successor will only be decided in the coming weeks. For the time being, the party committees agreed to appoint Alois Stöger as acting chairman. The former Minister of Transport and Social Affairs will take over the office on December 1, until then Lindner will continue to manage the business, announced regional managing director Florian Koppler.

"Broadly positioned in terms of personnel"
Lindner will also retain his seat in the provincial government until a permanent successor has been found within the SPÖ. According to Koppler, this successor should be chosen in a "broad-based decision-making process" and determined by direct election. The party has a "broad economic and personnel base" and there are also candidates other than familiar faces such as National Council member Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

Thanks to Lindner
Koppler once again thanked Lindner, whose decision was "to be accepted". He had managed to "fill in many rifts" and left behind a lot that a successor could build on.

The fact that it was possible to agree on Stöger so quickly is evidence of "stability" in the SPÖ, says Koppler. The political focus is now, on the one hand, on the budget state parliament to prevent cuts on the backs of the socially disadvantaged and, on the other hand, on the upcoming mayoral election in Linz.