Where magic tricks are usually performed, the governor of Burgenland, Hans Peter Doskozil, started his “friendship tour” on Friday, with which he wants to announce his candidacy as federal party chairman of the SPÖ. In the “Magic Theater” in Wiener Neustadt, Doskozi exchanged thoughts with fellow party members on a small scale. Support came from the former club president of the SPÖ in Lower Austria, Reinhard Hundsmüller, and from the deputy mayor of Wiener Neustadt, Rainer Spenger.
The start of the “Friendship Tour”, which was supposed to take the governor of the state to all the states, was quite quiet – deliberately kept small to emphasize the direct exchange with the party members, as the organizing team around the state manager Roland Fürst and ex-bond manager Max Lercher were called. The location, which is actually reserved for magicians and was difficult to find even for Doskozy himself, was quite unusual.
Doskozil fans and supporters
Especially Doskozil fans from the region took place in the magic theater to ask questions and discuss with him. Hundsmüller and Spenger also came forward as such, who presented themselves together with the provincial governor and the Burgenland chairwoman of the Socialist Youth (SJ) Jasmine Sommer. There was talk of Burgenland as a “social-democratic role model” and that Doskozil’s appointment as federal party leader had brought a new dynamic to the party. The tenor was that he had shown that elections could be won.
After the panel discussion, which was closed to the media, Doskozil spoke to journalists about a “consistently positive atmosphere”. There were debates about care, minimum wage and rent control, but also about organizational matters surrounding the member survey. As a difference to competitor Andreas Babler, Doskozi emphasized his demand for easier access to citizenship: “I am against that.”
Coalition with the FPÖ still no problem
Under the current circumstances, he again ruled out a coalition with the ÖVP or FPÖ. After the resignation of former chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), he was the only one in the party presidency to speak out against a four-party coalition with the FPÖ. “Then I also wonder: how do we actually deal with the PVV?”
Doskozil justified the fact that the panel discussion was not accessible to the media by saying that a “relationship of trust within social democracy” is needed and that not all internal questions are intended for the public. When asked about his oft-discussed cross-shots against the federal party, the state governor said he had only substantive discussions. According to the membership survey, regardless of the outcome, within the SPÖ you must be “prepared to approach each other again”.
Eight appointments already fixed
After the event in Wiener Neustadt, Doskozi continued to Hainfeld (Lilienfeld district). At this point, a total of eight more dates have been set for his “Friendship Tour”, with others to follow.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
