Babler’s retreat prompts praise, criticism and silence in Lower Austria

Andreas Babler will remain Austria’s vice-chancellor and SPÖ leader until the end of the year as he steps back from both roles, with a temporary three-person leadership planned for the party. Reactions in the Lower Austrian SPÖ ranged from support to silence, ORF’s Lower Austria service reported Monday.

At a Monday lunchtime gathering of the local SPÖ pensioners’ association in an inn in Neidling, in the district of St. Pölten, members voiced frustration over the party’s direction. “Ridiculous, what they’re doing. This isn’t right; they won’t get anywhere with it,” one attendee said. Another said it was troubling that nobody in politics seemed willing to take responsibility.

The changes follow a meeting on Sunday between the national SPÖ and its state organisations in Vienna. Babler is to remain in office until the end of the year, when Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer will take over his government post. Party parliamentary group leader Philip Kucher and women’s chief Eva-Maria Holzleitner are expected to share party leadership for at least a period.

Most SPÖ figures in Lower Austria declined to comment, including officials from the state executive and mayors. Some functionaries indicated that enthusiasm for the new arrangement was limited.

Those who did speak publicly backed the party line. Elvira Schmidt, chair of the SPÖ’s women’s organisation in Lower Austria, said Marterbauer and Holzleitner were well regarded by the public and expressed confidence that the three-person team could lead the party in the right direction.

Schmidt said she understood that people were disappointed with the SPÖ. “We bear responsibility for that. We have to win back their trust. We owe that to people,” she said.

Amelie Muthsam, chair of the Socialist Youth in Lower Austria, welcomed the agreement. She said the party should use its renewed energy to find common political solutions and make clear which side the SPÖ was on.

State party leader Sven Hergovich had described the agreement as “a good way forward” late on Sunday. He said he hoped Marterbauer, Holzleitner and Kucher would lead the party into calmer times, adding that change had been necessary and that divisions had been bridged.