Max Lercher lashes out

“Only one little man has lost, that’s Kickl”

Max Lercher during his half-hour speech in Kobenz

(Bild: ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Styrian SPÖ leader Max Lercher hosted a political Ash Wednesday in Kobenz on Wednesday evening - deliberately a counter-event to the FPÖ event in Ried. The Upper Styrian also lashed out at the Freedom Party, declared his support for the new federal coalition and was combative: "Social democracy is not finished yet."

It is increasingly establishing itself as a counter-event to the FPÖ's traditional political Ash Wednesday in Ried: Max Lercher's SPÖ event of the same name. It took place for the fifth time on Wednesday evening in Kobenz in Upper Styria - and yet it was a premiere: Lercher appeared for the first time as the Styrian leader of the Red Party.

Last year, Lercher was able to welcome federal party leader Andreas Babler as a guest. That was remarkable: the Styrian is a confidant of Hans Peter Doskozil and no friend of Babler's politics. A member of the new government did not come to Styria on Wednesday; the other speakers were Julia Herr and Philip Kucher from the SPÖ parliamentary club.

Lercher with his guests Julia Herr and Philip Kucher

(Bild: ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Lercher pro federal government after all
Like Doskozil, Lercher had recently spoken out in favor of a government of experts and against SPÖ participation. At the podium on Wednesday, Lercher came around: "I initially spoke out in favor of the government of experts. But when I heard that you, dear Philip, were in the negotiations, it was clear to me: it will be a government of experts." This was followed by a side blow: "Did there really have to be so many (government members, note)?"

At the beginning, however, Lercher had to iron out what he saw as an organizational faux pas: He stood on stage without a beer - Knittelfeld's mayor Harald Bergmann quickly helped out. Second faux pas: there was Puntigamer beer from Graz and no Upper Styrian barley juice. "Well, the Freedom Party won the election, so there's blue beer," commented Lercher. 

Here is a video of the successful beer tapping (with Gösser beer):

"A reorganization of the systems is needed"
As when he took over the party in December, the Styrian emphasized: "We have understood: We need to focus on those who achieve but can't afford everything." A reorganization of the systems and administration in the interests of the citizens is needed. "We have to make everyday problems our political program."

Lercher also touched on global politics with Trump, Musk and Orban, but most of the laughter and applause came from domestic issues. "I gave the new State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried a flashlight. The Ministry of the Interior is so black, he can't find his office otherwise." Former Styrian governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) also got his fair share: "He developed a new Styrian greeting as he left: Thank you Vienna!" Overall, however, the new Styrian state government got off lightly.

I gave the new State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried a flashlight. The Ministry of the Interior is so black, he can't find his office otherwise.

Max Lercher, Chef SPÖ Steiermark

There was particularly loud applause on the subject of the bank levy - and on the subject of Kickl: "The FPÖ is the bride who doesn't dare. I no longer believe this victim story. Kickl saw the budget deficit and was not prepared to take responsibility for Austria. This perpetrator-victim reversal annoys me. He whines that the little man has been forgotten. The only little man who has been forgotten is Herbert Kickl!"

Max Lercher with fire on stage (but the wrong beer)

(Bild: ERWIN SCHERIAU)

"Social democracy is not finished"
Lercher went particularly on the offensive on the subject of messenger surveillance: he was in favor, the FPÖ against - "because they have Reichsbürger in their ranks". At the end, the Styrian Oberrote recalled Hannes Androsch, who died in December, and once again made a fundamental point: politics must get out of pigeonholing. And a battle cry: "Social democracy is not finished!" 

Herr and Kucher also take sides against Kickl
After Lercher, Julia Herr and Philip Kucher also took to the lectern - and also had a few laughs on their side, again especially when it came to Kickl. Herr addressed the fact that Kickl is said to have spent less than ten hours negotiating with the ÖVP: "I've been cooking goulash for longer than that." And Kucher added: "Kickl needs a whole year to get to the 32-hour week."

There was also applause from both of them when the rent freeze passed today in the Council of Ministers and other planned social measures were mentioned. Herr made people sit up and take notice when she said that the new Minister Markus Materbauer "must clean up the mess in the Ministry of Finance". She managed a real punchline with a look at the German election results: "20 percent for the AfD, in Austria that would be a shift to the left." Kucher's description of Kickl as an "extremist" and a "mini-Trump, a Trumpel in Carinthian" also went down well.