Departments at a glance

Styria: Government in place, final shifts

The new white-green leadership duo Kunasek and Khom

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

It went quickly, but anything but without complications: a good three weeks after the elections in Styria, the blue-black coalition and its government program were presented on Tuesday. There were a few surprises in the details, for example two ÖVP government ministers were given additional powers.

What had long been certain: FPÖ election winner Mario Kunasek will succeed Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) as provincial governor. He leads a team of eight in the government - four blue and four black members. The exact distribution of portfolios was disputed until the very end, but the main issue was the personnel. On Monday, the sparks flew one last time.

Internal coup against the governor
After days of trench warfare within the ÖVP and an internal party coup against him, Drexler threw in the towel in the afternoon. Vote losses in the almost double-digit range were too much for many Styrian blacks, especially in the business and farmers' associations as well as in the districts, and they opted for state parliament president Manuela Khom as deputy governor and party leader - at least temporarily, as it was said.

The new Styrian state government (from left): Kornhäusl, Holzer, Eibinger-Miedl, Kunasek, Khom, Hermann, Schmiedtbauer, Amesbauer

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

At the presentation, Kunasek spoke of "labor-intensive weeks and negotiations on an equal footing"; the personnel disputes were not mentioned at all. The program was "sustainable and promising for the future". Khom agreed with this assessment.

Eibinger-Miedl gets finances, Kornhäusl culture
She will be joined in the government by Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, Karlheinz Kornhäusl and Simone Schmiedtbauer, who have already served as black state councillors. Eibinger-Miedl will take on the large chunks of labor and finance in addition to her previous areas of economics and science and research, Kornhäusl will remain responsible for health and care and will be given a new role in culture, Schmiedtbauer will remain state councilor for agriculture and will be entrusted with the topics of schools, housing, energy, water and resources. The designated party leader and deputy governor Khom will be responsible for the departments of municipalities, Europe and international affairs.

Two "portfolio winners" and a new face: the ÖVP duo Kornhäusl and Eibinger-Miedl flank the future FPÖ Infrastructure Minister Holzer.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

In the Blue Party, the posts were distributed more quickly: In addition to Kunasek, the former state party secretary Stefan Hermann, member of the National Council Hannes Amesbauer and Claudia Holzer, who most recently worked as an authorized signatory at Graz-Köflacher Bahn, will join the government. The competencies in the blue half of the government: Hermann is responsible for education, youth, municipalities and regional development, Amesbauer for social affairs, integration, environment and regional planning, Holzer for infrastructure and building construction. Party leader Kunasek will be responsible for disaster control and national defense, constitution and home affairs, tourism, personnel and sport.

The new Styrian state government

• Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ): Civil Protection and National Defence, Organization and Information Technology, Central Services, Constitution and Home Affairs, Personnel, Tourism, Sport, Popular Culture
• Deputy Governor Manuela Khom (ÖVP): Municipalities, Regions, Europe and International Affairs, Society (except Youth)
• Hannes Amesbauer (FPÖ): Social affairs and integration, environment, nature and animal protection, regional planning
• Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP): Economy, Labor, Science and Research, Finance
• Stefan Hermann (FPÖ): Education and youth, municipalities, regional development
• Claudia Holzer (FPÖ): Transport and state building construction, rural road construction and technology
• Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP): Health, care, culture
• Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP): Agriculture and forestry, hunting and fishing, agricultural and forestry schools, housing and energy, water and resource management, veterinary affairs

Islam, begging, ORF fee, lead hospital
The government program clearly bears a blue signature. A documentation office for political Islam and a staff unit for security in asylum homes are to be set up, and beggars will be severely restricted in future. The corona crisis is to be reopened with a new fund, and the end of the "Styrian surcharge" on the ORF fee has also been sealed. The sticking point was the planned flagship hospital in Stainach-Pürgg, one of the major upsets of the election campaign, the future of which the blue and black parties were unable to agree on for a long time. An agreement was reached to halt the project, with the focus on expanding the Rottenmann site and maintaining Schladming and Bad Aussee.

Social fraud, housing costs, public and private transport
In detail, the blue-black coalition has resolved to combat social fraud across the country with a new task force, as Kunasek explained. In the area of housing, the aim is to "identify the biggest cost drivers and, at best, abolish them" in order to help young people in particular. With regard to transport, for which newcomer Holzer is responsible, the future governor echoed his election campaign slogans: "Yes, we are committed to private transport, we must put an end to 'car-bashing'." However, he said, the aim was to push ahead with both: the expansion of provincial roads and public transport.

Schmiedtbauer (center) remains responsible for agriculture, Hermann (left) and Amesbauer will take over education and social affairs respectively.

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

"Challenges" in labor and the economy
Khom spoke about the area of tension between work and the economy, where there are "quite a few challenges". The government wants to look beyond its own federal state and expand the southern axis, and is also working on a plan to reduce bureaucracy. In terms of labor market policy, the aim is to achieve a paradigm shift and "no longer manage the unemployed, but support them in getting back to work".

"The whole of Austria is looking at Styria"
The whole of Austria is looking to Styria these days, said Kunasek, which is why they want to get to work as soon as possible. The first government meeting is to take place immediately after the inauguration by the Federal President on Thursday.