Andreas Babler, the chairman of the SPÖ, announced plans to manage the transition of the Vice Chancellorship role and the SPÖ party leadership in a structured manner. Following a meeting with the state party chairmen of the SPÖ, ÖGB head Wolfgang Katzian, and SPÖ Women’s Chairman Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Babler stated that public internal party disputes are counterproductive for a party and must come to an end. He emphasized his conviction that the SPÖ requires a unified force, acting with “full strength” to improve people’s lives.
Babler proposed that Markus Marterbauer begin next year as the head of the social democratic government faction and subsequently take the Vice Chancellor position. He intends to oversee and shape this process as the current party chairman. To support him, Holzleitner and club chairman Philip Kucher will act as executive co-chairmen. With this shift at the head of the SPÖ’s government team, they will oversee the party until a new chairman is elected. This arrangement is designed to guarantee orderly processes within the party and ensure the government continues working without interruption.
