ÖVP names Julian Geier as Klagenfurt mayoral candidate

The ÖVP has unanimously nominated city councillor and party chairman Julian Geier as its candidate for mayor of Klagenfurt, ORF reports. He aims to lead the party into a two-party coalition after the municipal and mayoral elections in February 2027.

Geier, 32, said he wanted to restore the city’s potential after what he called budget chaos and prolonged political disputes. His goal, he said, was for residents and city employees to be proud of Klagenfurt again and for the city to focus on making its services work.

ÖVP state chairman Martin Gruber called Geier the right choice and said Klagenfurt should once again become a driving force for the whole state.

The party’s first campaign issue is Bahnhofstraße, a street that was once a shopping district but is now in poor condition and has many vacant premises. The ÖVP wants the state to take over the street in exchange for Villacher Straße.

Geier has also proposed a green corridor from the railway station to Alten Platz square, with broad public spaces and a strong mix of shops and restaurants.

The ÖVP was Klagenfurt’s third-strongest party at the last election, winning 15.6 percent of the vote and seven of the 45 seats on the city council. Geier said the party wanted to become strong enough to make a two-party coalition possible, and that such a coalition should not be possible without the ÖVP.