ÖVP leader Sagartz

Old demands for the “gravedigger” to resign

Sagartz is confronted with criticism.

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

ÖVP backs Sagartz, but former critics are now speaking out again.

While the provincial party executive has expressed its confidence in Christian Sagartz, the ÖVP leader is once again confronted with a call for his resignation from within his own ranks. "Release the ÖVP Burgenland from your hostage-taking," writes the mayor of Wiesen, Matthias Weghofer, who calls his regional chairman a "gravedigger": "You have caused great damage to the ÖVP Burgenland and led it to ruin."

Warning a year ago
The head of Kohfidisch, Norbert Sulyok, also agrees: "With a result like this, you have to be seriously worried about the future." Both mayors had already called on their party leader to resign almost exactly a year ago and warned of a "disaster" in the regional elections if he were to become the lead candidate.

Reasons for the result
The ÖVP does not respond to this criticism and refers to the trust placed in them. Sagartz admits to a "very disappointing result", but points to circumstances: the upper limit on campaign costs, the short election campaign, the mood in federal politics, the ÖVP's U-turn at federal level, the controversial austerity package - none of this helped the ÖVP in Burgenland. "The population was not in the mood for fundamental change."