Mikl-Leitner says no one wants early elections

Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said she believed no one in the governing coalition wanted early elections and urged the government to focus on the economy, ORF reported.

Speaking on Tuesday, the ÖVP politician said the SPÖ’s internal debate did not interest her. What mattered, she said, was getting the economy moving again. The Social Democrats now had to show they could act and work effectively, she added, saying there could be no standstill regardless of how many party leaders they had.

The comments came after the announced partial withdrawal of Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler raised questions for the SPÖ and its coalition partners, the ÖVP and NEOS. ÖVP state governors discussed the situation on Monday and agreed that internal party debates must not disrupt government work.

Mikl-Leitner said the government should make the economy a clear priority, arguing that successful economic policy was the best social policy. She added that the public expected the government to work for the country and the republic.