Vienna ÖVP officially elects Markus Figl as chairman

Figl had already been designated state party chairman by the governing bodies following the People's Party's defeat in the Vienna elections in April. He now officially assumes the office.

The party conference will take place in the Expedithalle at the Ankerbrotfabrik in Vienna's Favoriten district. A total of around 400 delegates are invited to the meeting, along with distinguished guests: Federal party leader and Chancellor Christian Stocker is also scheduled to speak.

The circumstances facing Figl are somewhat challenging: The Vienna ÖVP suffered a severe defeat in the Vienna elections. From more than 20 percent of the vote, they slipped below the ten percent mark, just as they did in 2015. Mahrer subsequently resigned, and the decision on his successor caused further trouble.

In the committees the day after the vote, Figl had to vie with Döbling District Mayor Daniel Resch for the succession. The city district mayor reportedly only narrowly prevailed. After the bumpy reshuffle, there is now a demonstration of unity: Resch has been nominated as one of his deputies. Other deputies will be City Councilor Elisabeth Olischar and Hietzing District Mayor Johanna Zinkl.

The ÖVP emphasizes that the party executive committee will be streamlined. Under Karl Mahrer, the team was significantly larger. Efficient structures would also enable more efficient work, they say. Figl will not be working at City Hall in the future. Although he has no mandate, he theoretically could have claimed the position of non-executive city councilor. However, Figl decided to remain in the district.

The designated city party chairman certainly exudes confidence ahead of the meeting. "The state party conference marks the beginning of the Vienna People's Party's strategic realignment. The SPÖ and Neos have no vision for the future of Vienna – as the Vienna People's Party, we will develop this vision for the future of our city," Figl assured the APA in a statement.

A change of leader in the Vienna ÖVP is not a particularly rare occurrence: Before Figl, a total of 15 people had led the party since 1945, not including three short-term acting leaders. Lois Weinberger was even elected party leader twice between 1945 and 1960.

Figl's predecessor, Mahrer, took over in 2021 following the departure of Gernot Blümel. Blümel himself was also appointed after an electoral debacle. He took over the position from the hapless party leader Manfred Juraczka in 2015.