Revolution failed

ÖVP governs with FPÖ in Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl

Current mayor Gustav Glöckler (left), future mayor Florian Pfaffelmaier (center) and future FPÖ deputy mayor Gernot Forster.

(Bild: ZVG Gemeinde Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl)

ÖVP mayor Gustav Glöckler lost five seats in the election. He is now handing over the top job to his party colleague Florian Pfaffelmaier. However, Glöckler could remain in office as head of department. 

Long before the election, a small revolution was planned by the opposition parties in the small municipality of Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl in the district of Wiener Neustadt in order to topple ÖVP mayor Gustav Glöckler. They almost succeeded: before the election he still held the absolute with 15 seats, but now he only has 10 (out of 25). The ÖVP therefore needed a coalition partner.

Announced revolutions usually don't happen after all
First, the SPÖ and FPÖ signed a joint working agreement. Both had gained additional seats (two each) and together they now had eleven. With the votes of the Greens, they wanted to elect SPÖ candidate Matthias Ressl as mayor and FPÖ candidate Gernot Forster as his deputy. This was even announced in a press release. However, announced revolutions usually do not take place, as was the case in Wöllersdorf. The Greens did not want to support the Blue Party under any circumstances - whereupon the FPÖ immediately canceled the pact with the SPÖ.

"Although the SPÖ initially agreed to a coalition, behind the scenes there were cross-negotiations at the same time in order to finally present a coalition without a majority to the population as a success, which will go down in our history books as an 'embarrassing' interim result!

Noch-Bürgermeister Gustav Glöckler

The next plan would have been for all opposition parties to join forces in order to have the mayor voted out of office. But this also failed.

The ÖVP and FPÖ have now joined forces (14 seats together). However, Gustav Glöckler is handing over his office to fellow party member Florian Pfaffelmaier after 15 years. "It was clear to me that the time would come for an orderly handover," says Glöckler, who will probably remain head of office.

His deputy will be FPÖ top candidate Gernot Forster.