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The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), aims to form a coalition by mid-November. So said the head of the SPÖ and winner of the elections on Wednesday at a press conference. In any case, the pact with the government should be in force by the end of November at the latest. Preferences, whether that is likely to happen with ÖVP, Neos, or the previous partner, the Greens, were also not obtained this time.
Video: The main content of the press conference.
In any case, Ludwig’s timetable stipulates that he will hold exploratory talks with the three parties in question from early next week, the city chief said. The order depends solely on the “programming possibilities” and will not allow to draw any conclusions about the future choice of partner, it put an end to the expected speculations in this regard. After that, “very soon deeper coalition negotiations” will take place with the party with which there is the greatest content-related overlap.
Ludwig said he saw content overlaps with all three potential coalition partners. With the Greens this is the protection of the environment and the climate, with the ÖVP it is economic policy and with the NEOS it is educational issues. “That is what makes the negotiations so exciting,” said the mayor. On Friday, the SPÖ committees – the Vienna presidium, board of directors and committee – will vote on the red negotiating team that Ludwig wants to propose there.
In the exploratory talks that Ludwig and his team will have and that they will also want to conclude next week, it will be a matter of discussing where the biggest coincidences or points are “that are insurmountable,” said Ludwig. The chairman of the state party SPÖ named the fight against the consequences of the crown crisis, the fight against climate change and the expansion of the education system as priority issues for him today.
There have already been public shouts from comrades about the direction in which the choice of the couple should go. On Tuesday, Leopoldstadt district chair-designate Alexander Nikolai came out clearly in favor of the government’s cooperation with the Neos. “We have agreed that we will discuss this internally,” Ludwig Nikolai said. This will also be classified under the “discipline of communication”.
Häupl is skeptical about red and pink
Ludwig’s predecessor, former mayor Michael Häupl (SPÖ), in turn, showed clear skepticism about pink-red in interviews on Wednesday and seems more in favor of a new version of red-green: Häupl launched this variant coalition in 2010 and extended in 2015. plead. “Something new doesn’t always have to be good and old doesn’t always have to be bad,” says Häupl.
The former town chief was a “very wise man,” Ludwig replied. “It is well known that I value my predecessor very much and, as he was responsible, he made very wise decisions, which I always supported.” Your assessment is likely based on your experience in active politics. At the same time, however, there are also “always new challenges that must be seen differently in the new framework conditions.”
When asked about the signs of alienation between Ludwig and Green Party leader and Deputy Mayor Birgit Hebein, which became apparent during the election campaign, Ludwig only said that he had a professional and “not necessarily emotional” relationship with all representatives. of the parties. He dropped a reporter’s question about how much Hebein bothered him on a scale of one to ten last.
At the press conference, the mayor once again expressed his joy at the electoral victory of the SPÖ and was also pleased with the orderly electoral process under Corona. Education Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ), who was also on the podium, assured that the protection measures have been well received by voters. Czernohorszky responded to the question whether he was afraid of his job given that the NEOS have the issue of education as a workhorse and that the Councilor for Education in a possible coalition could call for his work. Ludwig added: “It is no secret that I really appreciate the work of Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky.” In any case, personnel matters will only be dealt with at the end of the negotiations.
