Achleitner may leave Upper Austrian government

Upper Austrian economic affairs councillor Markus Achleitner may be preparing to leave state politics, ORF reports, as the ÖVP state party executive is due to meet on Friday to discuss a possible reshuffle a year before the state election.

Achleitner’s future has been the subject of repeated discussion within the party. State Governor Thomas Stelzer has previously rejected public speculation about Achleitner’s departure, but indications of a possible change have recently grown stronger.

Possible successors include Doris Hummer, president of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce, and Christiane Frauscher, the state’s finance director. Other media have also named Werner Pamminger of Business Upper Austria and Wolfgang Mayer of baking company backaldrin.

Achleitner’s departure could lead to a redistribution of portfolios in the state government. Party sources say Stelzer may take over the economic affairs portfolio himself until the election. Achleitner’s current responsibilities include the economy, energy, spatial planning, trade and sport, as well as the state’s company holdings, energy industry, environmental and industrial technology, and some election and European affairs.

The final allocation of responsibilities remains unclear. Details are expected at a news conference on Friday at 12.15pm.

Achleitner has been a state councillor in Upper Austria since December 2018. Before entering politics, he worked in tourism. Party discussions about economic policy and the division of responsibilities in the state government have been ongoing for months. Stelzer has increasingly led public announcements and appearances on economic issues, while reports of tensions between him and Achleitner have circulated within the party. Both men have publicly played down any strain, with the ÖVP saying they work closely together and share responsibilities.