Greens demand Hergovich quit Lower Austria government

Lower Austria’s Greens have called for SPÖ state leader Sven Hergovich to resign from the state government, accusing him of contradicting his party’s position on the Health Plan 2040+. ORF reported the demand on Thursday.

Helga Krismer, the Greens’ parliamentary group leader and state spokesperson, said the SPÖ had approved the plan in the proportional government and in the state parliament. She criticised Hergovich for now travelling around Lower Austria and presenting himself as the defender of emergency doctor stations.

“That is not left-wing politics, it is left-wing behaviour,” Krismer said. If Hergovich believed the SPÖ had made a mistake by approving the health plan, he would have to resign as a state councillor, she said. “Anyone who approves something in government and says the opposite outside it destroys all trust in politics.”

Proportional system

Seats in Lower Austria’s state government are distributed according to the parties’ strength in the state parliament. The nine seats are currently held by the ÖVP, with four, the FPÖ, with three, and the SPÖ, with two. The Greens and NEOS are not represented in the government.

Krismer also criticised the ÖVP and FPÖ. She said the ÖVP was blocking efforts and defending the health plan “tooth and nail”, while the FPÖ was engaging in a “transparent double game”. In government and parliament, she said, the party acted as a “fire-starter” before presenting itself at local gatherings as a firefighter.

The Greens were the only party in the state parliament to vote against the Health Plan 2040+ in March 2025. The plan includes, among other measures, merging hospitals and reducing the number of emergency doctor stations.

Following a months-long health tour across Lower Austria, Krismer renewed her opposition to the plan, citing uncertainty among the population and weaknesses in its content. The Greens said they would present an alternative in around two weeks.

SPÖ parliamentary group leader Rene Zonschits said the Social Democrats still decided themselves who represented them in the state government. He welcomed the Greens’ support for retaining the emergency doctor stations.

“The health issue is far too important for the Greens’ purely partisan emotions,” Zonschits said. “That helps no Lower Austrian in an emergency.”