How he lives and ticks

Christian Stocker: The unknown (soon to be) chancellor

Christian Stocker was Karl Nehammer's Secretary General and is now taking over from him.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Nobody had him on their radar: Christian Stocker will be the next Federal Chancellor. How the man lives and ticks who came to the board meeting in jeans and a sweater because he actually wanted to resign.

It is January 4th. Karl Nehammer has resigned as ÖVP chancellor. In the late evening hours, Christian Stocker leaves the Chancellery. On the majestic staircase, Stocker is resolute: "If the Chancellor resigns, then his Secretary General will leave too. I will announce my departure tomorrow."

He came in a sweater and jeans - wanted to resign
He came to the ÖVP board meeting on January 5, where Nehammer's successor was discussed, in jeans and a sweater - almost as a private citizen. But things turned out differently: a few hours later, the deputy mayor of Wiener Neustadt was elected head of the ÖVP - with the condition that he make an inglorious 180-degree turn and negotiate with Herbert Kickl after all. To do so, he had to break his anti-Kickl promise.

The suit had to be specially delivered to Vienna for the first press conference. Seven weeks later, plan B came into effect: Stocker moved into the Ballhausplatz - as the new ÖVP chancellor, whom nobody had expected.