Lercher on the coalition question: "The ÖVP per se is not excluded"

2023-06-05 08:54:00

The future path of the SPÖ under the new party chairman Hans-Peter Doskozil discussed Sunday evening with Claudia Reiterer the former federal manager Max Lercher, federal women’s chairman Eva-Maria Holzleitner, political scientist Katrin Praprotnik from the University of Graz and writer and SPÖ member Robert Menasse.

About the future staff

Another topic was the future filling of key positions in the party. Both Holzleitner and Lercher are traded as candidates for party or club. Both did not want to comment on this in “Im Zentrum”. “Now that we have a man as chairman again, women will have to have key positions,” said Holzleitner. She herself also feels very comfortable as SP women’s boss, according to the native of Upper Austria. His chances of becoming future federal manager or club chairman are not zero, said Lercher. “However, we will clarify this in the committees, not here on television.”

Coalition with Turquoise?

Doskozil’s announcement at the weekend that he did not want to enter into a coalition with the ÖVP after the National Council election caused confusion. “I also want to tackle that: No coalition with the ÖVP,” said the new SPÖ leader on Saturday during his speech at the party conference in the Design Center in Linz. On Sunday evening, in the “ZiB 2” interview, Doskozil relativized his rejection of turquoise, in the end “of course” deciding the will of the voters. “The ÖVP per se is not excluded,” Lercher tried to explain in the ORF talk: “Doskozil always said he wanted to be so strong that there were variants alongside the ÖVP.”

On Sunday, Holzleitner had encouraged the new federal party leader in his line that after the next election he did not want to enter into a coalition, not only with the FPÖ but also with the ÖVP. In view of the positions on women’s politics that the two parties represent in the coalitions in Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Salzburg, she sees “no points of overlap”.

According to Lercher, the fact that any future coalition agreement should be presented to all party members is a good step in the right direction. “We can’t stop pushing the democratization of the SPÖ. That will do us good.”

Video: The ORF program “Im Zentrum” on the question “SPÖ showdown: restart or decline” in full length:

“Let no empty phrases remain”

Holzleitner: “At the party congress, we often heard the words approach one another and reach agreement. These must not be empty phrases.” Andreas Babler addressed issues that are close to the hearts of many people. This content, which has persuaded many members to (re)enter, should be taken with them. “I am convinced that personal talks must take place in order to build bridges,” said the federal women’s chairwoman.

One who has rejoined the party this year is writer and Babler supporter Robert Menasse. In Doskozil, the author misses a quality that is essential for social democracy: solidarity. When Reiterer asked if he was leaving again, Menasse said: “I didn’t join a camp, I joined the party.” He assumes that the dynamism brought into the party by Babler will not dry up again. In the meantime, his membership has remained the same: “If the death instinct flares up again, mistakes should be repeated that frustrate me so much that I think I’ve come back with too many illusions,” says the writer.