Vienna’s SPÖ holds back in national leadership contest

Vienna’s SPÖ branch has not taken a public position in the debate over who should lead the national party, ORF reports. Political consultant Thomas Hofer says the branch could be a deciding factor.

Mayor Michael Ludwig has so far made only an indirect comment, describing Gerhard Zeiler as “a respectable personality with an impressive career”. A brief written statement from the Vienna SPÖ said the party had a clearly defined democratic process that should be respected, and that the Vienna branch would form an opinion once it began.

Hofer told ORF’s Wien heute that Ludwig was not someone who rushed into decisions and was unlikely to criticise publicly. He said the mayor would be weighing the national party’s direction, but did not expect him to speak out soon. With the next national election still some time away, and the next Vienna state election further off, Hofer said there might be no immediate need for action from Vienna’s perspective.

Other Vienna SPÖ politicians have also declined to comment. Mobility councillor Ulli Sima said on Monday that the party would discuss the matter internally. All 16 SPÖ district leaders gave the same response to an inquiry, saying internal matters would be handled within the party. Lea Halbwidl, the district leader in Wieden, added that the party should focus on working together for people in the country.

Zeiler, a 71-year-old media manager, wants to replace Andreas Babler as party leader. He announced his ambition publicly on Friday and reaffirmed it on the ZIB2 television programme on Sunday, saying he believed he was the “right person” for the role. He said he wanted to steer the SPÖ towards a more business-friendly course. Babler has said he sees no reason to step down.