Surprising rise

Stocker also becomes Kickl’s Vice-Chancellor

ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Surprising rise of ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker. After Sebastian Kurz canceled, the state governors chose him as Nehammer's heir.

They didn't have much time. Just 15 hours after Karl Nehammer's resignation as ÖVP leader and Federal Chancellor, the ÖVP provincial leaders had to conjure a successor out of a hat. Sebastian Kurz, who was preferred by Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the leader of Lower Austria, canceled the ÖVP at short notice during the night. Karoline Edtstadler also declined.

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer was also on the shortlist. His lack of experience in federal politics spoke against the former Upper Austrian state councillor, who has only been Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce since the beginning of the year. In addition, Upper Austria's governor Thomas Stelzer stonewalled. He also did not want to "burn out" his compatriot as a newcomer to the Viennese political scene.

The ÖVP on the way to the crisis meeting on Sunday

(Bild: Antal Imre)

Anti-Kickl front lost importance in the ÖVP
In other words, the circle of candidates for the Nehammer succession was rapidly shrinking. The time pressure, on the other hand, grew rapidly. The provincial governors were already making frantic phone calls in the early hours of the morning - because the handover had to be arranged at the 9.30 a.m. meeting in the Chancellery. Most of the provincial governors, such as Johanna Mikl-Leitner, chose the back entrance at Ballhausplatz to avoid questions from the TV crews: In addition to the Nehammer succession, the crisis meeting was also intended to find a way out of the state crisis.

It quickly became clear that new elections were the worst option, not only for the party but also for the country, as this would mean several months of deadlock again.

Landeshauptmann Thomas Stelzer (OÖ)

The party leadership was faced with the question: new elections or coalition talks with the Kickl-FPÖ if the FPÖ leader was given the mandate to form a government by Alexander Van der Bellen? "It quickly became clear that new elections were the worst option, not only for the party but also for the country, because that would mean several months of standstill again. You can't afford that in a crisis year like 2025," said Governor Thomas Stelzer (Upper Austria). In addition, the party has no financial resources for an election campaign and lacks a politician at the top who can campaign.

Pictures of another turbulent day in the Republic: after the ÖVP crisis meeting, Karl Nehammer marched across Ballhausplatz to the Hofburg to announce his resignation to Alexander Van der Bellen.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal)

In the morning, the ÖVP provincial governors arrived at the Chancellery.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal, Krone KREATIV)

Stocker to get to the bottom of FPÖ leader
With the departure of Nehammer, the anti-Kickl front within the ÖVP had also been decimated. With five ÖVP provincial governors in coalition with the FPÖ, the inhibition threshold was no longer high.

But who can lead the negotiations with Kickl? After all the dazzling names were out of the running, the way was clear for the calm pragmatist - the previous Secretary General Christian Stocker.

Although he verbally attacked Kickl on several occasions, the lawyer is now to lead the negotiations. If he achieves a good deal as junior partner, he will govern as deputy under Chancellor Kickl.

Can that go well? Stocker repeatedly lashed out at the FPÖ leader. His comments often verged on personal insults. Stelzer takes a relaxed view of these confrontations: "What Herbert Kickl hasn't already done to us. The tone is rougher in federal politics".

And Mikl-Leitner sees Stocker in particular as a guarantor to get to grips with the FPÖ leader (in terms of democratic policy): "Because he is a fierce critic of Kickl, he is exactly the right person to sound out whether cooperation with the FPÖ is even possible in this constellation".