TIROLER ZEITUNG “Editorial” from March 25, 2022 by Michael Sprenger “At least a fighter”
Innsbruck (OTS) – In the political ring, Pamela Rendi-Wagner shows taker and stayer qualities. Now she wants to substantiate her claim to the chancellorship with a “Chancellor’s Speech”. The ÖVP could ensure that they move there soon.
Now also a “Chancellor Speech”. One thing cannot be denied about the SPÖ chairwoman Pamela Rendi-Wagner: she has the qualities to take and stay. After the more than embarrassing departure of Christian Kern, she became the first woman to chair the SPÖ. They led the Social Democrats in the 2019 National Council election and achieved the worst election result for the SPÖ at 21.2 percent. Your tenure so far has been marked by internal party intrigues and a lack of political flair. With a vote of confidence among all party members, she attempted a liberation. The move was bold – but it didn’t create unity. From the secure cover, snipers planned the next attack on their party leader at the party congress – and inflicted her with a historic defeat. But Rendi-Wagner kept shaking himself off, continued to trust her announcers – and carried on.
Although the internal debates continue, it now seems agreed that the SPÖ will go to the polls with Rendi-Wagner. Also because the mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, does not want to take over the federal party. On the contrary: he demonstratively supports Rendi-Wagner. So that internal critics are now proclaiming sheepishly: We will win the next National Council election with or despite Rendi-Wagner. And yes, it is a political truism: it is not the opposition that wins the election, but a government that loses it. The chancellor party ÖVP, which has been in power without interruption for 35 years, has been politically paralyzed for months. With affairs, scandals and numerous suspects, the ÖVP turned Austria into a scandalous republic. In addition, the governments led by the ÖVP – most recently with the FPÖ, now with the Greens – did not master the political trade.
In view of these requirements, the SPÖ should be above the 30 percent mark in polls at the longest. If it weren’t for the lack of unity, the pathetic conditions of the party in six federal states – and yes, if there weren’t the glitches and mistakes. The fact that a party whose domain was once foreign policy needed almost two days to end the farce it was partly responsible for in parliament about a video speech by Volodymyr Zelenskyi speaks volumes. On Sunday, Rendi-Wagner could eliminate irritation and prove in her speech that she is solid in foreign policy – and has what it takes to be the first chancellor. Sometimes all we know is that you have the ability to take and stay.
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