You can be sure of one thing, even in uncertain times: if the SPÖ is doing too well, someone will start a leadership debate. This person is a repeat offender and usually the mayor of Burgenland. But what does Hans-Peter Doskosil actually want and could he really do better than Pamela Rendi-Wagner?
One of those days could almost have been boring at home. The excitement over the turquoise chats has subsided for now, it’s been a long time since we’ve heard from the Vice-Chancellor and Kickl’s asylum gibberish has long ceased to be a cause for concern. So it looked like an early Christmas rest for a while – were it not for the SPÖ…
SPÖ offers the luxury of a leadership debate
She maneuvered her way back into a leadership debate without fail. Why not? Things are going well, the Social Democrats are in first place in polls and the government is in a veritable crisis of confidence. As an emerging opposition party, you can afford the luxury of hacking internally. Stability within the party is only for losers anyway!
Why doesn’t Doskozil just say he wants to be in charge?
But let’s put the sarcasm aside for now: the chairman’s discussion about Doskozil and Rendi-Wagner is slowly growing a beard. Yes, the latest trick, that the SPÖ Burgenland presents a poll according to which the party would do even better under the leadership of the mayor of Burgenland, is original, but: why the hell can’t Doskozil just say clearly that he is SPÖ leader?
Clarity instead of constant teasing
That would shorten the matter a bit and bring a little more clarity. After all, there is nothing reprehensible about striving for the top – even if it is the chairman of the board. Then the party could consult once and for all and decide who would be better suited to the Social Democrats. We have our political entertainment with the taunts that appear at regular intervals, but unfortunately that does not help the party.
He could do better with asylum, but not with party leadership
But could Doskozil really do better? He may be more focused and credible on asylum issues, perhaps even capturing FPÖ voters. As chairman he would only have one catch: as a boss you also have to be able to throw a party together. That is a particularly difficult task, especially with such a large apparatus as the SPÖ – and Doskozil, with its perpetual, internal ricochetes, did not necessarily stand out for his managerial skills.
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
