"Krone" in the state parliament

Ticker framework for the state parliament session on Wednesday

Mario Kunasek, now officially governor of Styria

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

It's official: Mario Kunasek is the first FPÖ governor of Styria. Three and a half weeks after the election, the new government took office on Wednesday. The members of parliament were sworn in at the first session of the provincial parliament - with criticism from the opposition.

Today, Wednesday, the newly elected Styrian parliament gathered for its first constituent session. Big words and emotional moments were to be expected on this historic day, the "Krone" was there live.

Manuela Khom, who is currently still the first President of the Styrian Parliament, was the first to take to the lectern. This was followed by the first item on the agenda: the members of parliament were sworn in. The three presidents of the state parliament for the coming legislative period were then elected via ballot papers. The planned government program was then assessed by the leaders of all parties. And finally, the new government was elected by parliament.

The most important points at a glance:

• The FPÖ-ÖVP government of Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) as provincial governor and Manuela Khom (ÖVP) as deputy governor has been officially elected in the provincial parliament.

• 48 mandataries sit in the new state parliament. Election winner FPÖ forms the largest parliamentary group with 17 seats - two of which are women, Eva Maria Kroismayr-Baier and Kerstin Zambo. Initially, it was said that only one woman would be represented in the parliamentary group. Around a third of the members of parliament are new. 
• The "grannies against the right" protest before the parliamentary session. They criticize the "exclusionary, discriminatory nature" of the new government.

• Gerald Deutschmann (FPÖ) becomes President of Parliament, with former governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) as second President and Helga Ahrer (SPÖ) as third President. Neos and the Greens criticized Deutschmann, among other things because he is a member of a fraternity.

The new state parliament

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

• The new state government also includes Hannes Amesbauer, Claudia Holzer and Stefan Hermann for the FPÖ and Simone Schmiedtbauer, Barbara Eibinger-Miedl and Karlheinz Kornhäusl for the ÖVP.
• The opposition is led by Max Lercher and Hannes Schwarz (SPÖ), Sandra Krautwaschl (Greens), Niko Swatek (Neos) and Claudia Klimt-Weithaler (KPÖ).

All developments in the live ticker:

The program of the new state government was presented on Tuesday. On Thursday, Mario Kunasek will be sworn in by the Federal President in Vienna.