Markus Figl takes over the Wiener ÖVP: A new course for the party!

Markus Figl takes over the Wiener ÖVP: A new course for the party!

In an exciting party congress last Saturday, Markus Figl was elected as the new chairman of the Vienna ÖVP with 86.1 percent of the vote. Figl, who previously acted as managing party leader, succeeds Karl Mahrer, who had declared his resignation after the defeat in the Vienna election in April. The election took place in the expedite hall of the former anchor bread factory in Vienna favorites, an event location that had a modern and nostalgic effect with its construction site atmosphere at the same time. The number of delegates was 274.

But who is Markus Figl? The 51-year-old is not only the big nephew of the former Chancellor Leopold Figl, but also the 16th chairman of the Vienna People's Party. He also retains his office as district head of the inner city and will not switch to the town hall. In his election, his deputies, including Elisabeth Olischhar (84.7 %), Johanna Zinkl (88.3 %) and Daniel Resch (85.8 %), supported him, who also achieved high approval rates when they were elected. The members of the Vienna ÖVP take the decision to innocue in the party leadership positively and are optimistic about the future under Figl's leadership.

A clear focus on the future

In his inaugural speech, Figl emphasized that it was necessary to draw the consequences from the poor election result and to create a real alternative to the current system. He announced the establishment of a "future workshop", which should deal with future topics and innovative ideas in order to convey hope and confidence to people. Security, education and business will focus on his future work, which for him is anything but irrelevant.

The federal party chairman and Chancellor Christian Stocker also expressed himself confidently about the development of the ÖVP in Vienna. He is convinced that Markus Figl has the right skills to lead the party into a successful future. "The coming months will be decisive to expand the voter base and strengthen the party," said Stocker.

The new wind in the Vienna ÖVP

With the choice of Markus Figl, the Viennese ÖVP feels a fresh wind that will probably be decisive to better master the challenges that are waiting for it in the political landscape. With their election, the members of the party not only heralded a new head seat, but also a new era in which the voices of the citizens are to be heard more.

All in all, the party conference was harmonious and broadcasts a spark of hope and spirit of optimism in Vienna politics. The next steps will show how well the new leadership will work to put their projects into practice and bring about a real turn. ORF reports About the positive response of the members and News.at gives a deep insight into the details of the choice and the challenges that Figl expects.