[ad_1]
The greens lose the position of vice mayor
© VOL.AT / Steuer
In 2005 Bregenz became the first Austrian capital with a green-black coalition. With the election of Mayor Markus Linhart (ÖVP) this is history.
The new city chief, Michael Ritsch (SPÖ), will depend on the free play of forces and, due to the majority situation, will have to seek broad cooperation. The focus will be on your urban development projects.
Already in 2005, the then young SPÖ candidate Ritsch had cornered the ÖVP and Mayor Linhart in the municipal elections and won an absolute majority in the city council: for the ÖVP there were 14 of the 36 seats, for the SPÖ 13. Greens (5) as well as freedom (2) and the “think Bregenz” list (2) lagged far behind. After Ritsch’s defeat in the second round of the mayor’s election, a ÖVP-SPÖ coalition seemed the most likely scenario. But Linhart let the alliance break shortly before its conclusion. For the Greens as a partner, according to Linhart, it was ultimately “the tone and quality of the deals” that made the difference.
Ritsch chose the green base
Since then, the Greens have served as deputy mayor in Bregenz, initially with Gernot Kiermayr and since the summer of 2013 with Sandra Schoch. However, as a junior partner of the ÖVP, the Bregenz Greens never really moved. Ultimately, it was dissatisfied Green voters who broke the coalition by electing Ritsch as mayor 15 years after the first second round of the election. Without many green votes, a majority would not have been possible for Ritsch. They defied Linhart’s announcement that they wanted to continue as mayor. Only the green officials would have chosen Linhart, the base, but Ritsch, he told himself. The vice mayor’s chair should disappear.
No red-green majority
History has repeated itself not only in terms of the second round elections, but also in terms of majority proportions: in the Bregenz town hall, forces are distributed in a similar way to 15 years ago. The strongest party remains the ÖVP (15 seats), followed by the SPÖ list around Ritsch (11) and the Greens (6). Freiheitliche and NEOS each got two terms. For majorities, Ritsch must seek broad cooperation. Agreements with no more than one partner are only made with the Popular Party. Red-Green does not have a majority.
Urban development in focus
In terms of content, Ritsch will be measured primarily by the implementation of its urban development plans. In Bregenz, the land is much rarer than in other municipalities: the city is sandwiched between the lake and the mountain (Pfänder). A track and railroad tracks run along the shore of the lake, and for decades there have been suggestions and initiatives to change that. Ritsch won the election mostly because he is vehemently in favor of an underfloor heating variant for the railroad. The design of the “Seequartier” and “Seestadt” areas, a car park in a prime location for decades, should also be put into action after many years of discussion and planning. Michael Ritsch: “This area is the ‘heart’ of our city. We want to make this heart beat again.”
Ritsch’s first reaction
Linhart’s first reaction
>> All the information about the second round of the mayor’s election in Vorarlberg in VOL.AT
[ad_2]
