Decision made
Christian Stocker becomes interim ÖVP leader!
ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker will take over the leadership of the People's Party, as the "Krone" learned on Sunday. This was agreed by the party executive, which had met in the Chancellery that morning.
On Sunday morning, the heads of the People's Party had made their way to the Federal Chancellery with a tight-lipped air. They chose the back entrance, with only Vorarlberg's Governor Markus Wallner making a brief statement and asking for "a little patience": "We must conduct the personnel discussion with clarity and calm, but we will have to do so. It will take a few hours."
Stocker should "bring calm to the party"
Around midday, it was finally announced that an agreement would be reached on General Secretary Christian Stocker as party leader. Stocker is to bring calm to the party and succeed Karl Nehammer at least until the necessary party conference, as the "Krone" learned. However, this party conference could only take place in a few months' time.
The political upheaval has come at a very inopportune time for the People's Party. In the municipal elections in Lower Austria on January 26, the ÖVP is facing horrendous losses in its stronghold.
Following the failed government negotiations, Chancellor Karl Nehammer had announced his resignation on Saturday evening for "the next few days". He would facilitate an orderly transition, he said in a statement distributed via social media.
ÖVP strives for unity
Stocker, who will now succeed Nehammer, spoke to ORF after his former party leader's statement about Nehammer's "personal decision": "We will discuss this within the party and carry out an orderly transition." The next steps would first have to be planned. There had also been "good talks" with the SPÖ, but "no common ground in key areas".
Officially, the provincial leaders of the People's Party then praised the outgoing Chancellor. Efforts were made to demonstrate unity by quickly passing the buck to the SPÖ.
Christian Sagartz, Chairman of the ÖVP in Burgenland, spoke of a "blockade attitude", while Vienna's ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer accused SPÖ leader Andreas Babler of having "led the SPÖ into an ideological inability to act". Nehammer himself had also previously said that "destructive forces had gained the upper hand" in the SPÖ.
Nehammer with Van der Bellen
Whether there will be new elections or not, however, is by no means certain. Now all eyes are once again on the Hofburg. Karl Nehammer was with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen at lunchtime to resign his mandate to form a government. However, media representatives were not allowed to attend the meeting. The head of state is expected to make a statement at around 2.30 pm.
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