Chamber of Commerce election

Unos candidate: “A chamber reform is needed”

Weinhold (left) and Bernhard (right) are going into the Chamber of Commerce elections with confidence - and are also aiming for reforms.

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

The candidates for the Chamber of Commerce elections in March have been announced: Unos present their goals in an interview with "Krone".

The lists for the Chamber of Commerce elections have been finalized for a few days now, and with them the top candidates who will be vying for business votes in a total of 88 specialist groups over the next 27 days. On March 12 and 13, exactly 49,246 Carinthian businesspeople will be able to elect their representatives.

Familiar names on the lists
There are hardly any surprises on the election lists: The same personalities are running for the office of President of the Chamber of Commerce as five years ago. Jürgen Mandl (Wirtschaftsbund) wants to defend his seat, Günter Burger is once again leading the Freiheitliche Wirtschaft and Markus Ertel the Grüne Wirtschaft into the election campaign. SWV President Fredy Trey is entering the race for the Social Democratic Business Association.

Pink strength in tourism
Christian Weinhold, who ran for the pink Unos last time, also wants to give it another go: "This time we are running in twelve specialist groups, that's double the number," says the Carinthian candidate, who runs a Spar branch, among other things. The Pinks are conspicuously strong in tourism, especially in the hotel industry. The declared goal is to enter the economic parliament.

Incidentally, Weinhold received support from National Council member and Unos federal spokesperson Michael Bernhard: "We are noticing a clear signal of growth in Carinthia." In addition to a reduction in bureaucracy, tax relief and a better work-life balance, Unos also want a chamber reform. "Our goal is a completely different, new, lean chamber of commerce based on voluntary membership," said Bernhard in an interview with Krone.

"The task is to restructure the chamber in the direction of a genuine representation of interests, in the direction of a mouthpiece for entrepreneurs," says Weinhold. There is also no shortage of criticism of the overpowering Wirtschaftsbund: "There are a few things on the table that need to be implemented," says Bernhard. The ÖVP association has been responsible for years: "They could have already implemented the measures that are now being promised."