The still incumbent party leader of the SPÖ, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, gave her farewell speech to parliament during the special session of the National Council on Thursday afternoon (see video above). A day later, her party friend, the governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, said goodbye to her in an emotional message.
“Thank you dear Pam for being willing to take over our party as the first female leader in a more than difficult situation,” he wrote on Twitter. According to Kaiser, Rendi-Wagner was self-sacrificingly committed to offering political alternatives “to improve the lives of many Austrians”. Kaiser also added that her critics – including those from her own ranks – had not always been fair to her.
“Wishing you and your family all the best for your future,” Kaiser concluded in the tweet (see below).
“much respect”
“Great respect” for Rendi-Wagner also expressed the Groenenclub chairman Sigrid Maurer on Twitter. She was subjected to underhand attacks of a kind “that no man in politics has to deal with in this way”. She will miss Rendi-Wagner, who she found warm.
“You Will Be Missed in the House”
According to the Green women’s spokeswoman Meri Disoski, Rendi-Wagner will be absent from the Chamber “as a club president, as a competent policy maker, as a feminist”.
Karin Doppelbauer, the first speaker of NEOS, made a similar statement: “You have earned our respect. We will miss them very much. Her middle name should be Resilience – Chapeau.”
ÖVP: “May quieter times come again in the SPÖ”
ÖVP club boss August Wöginger was also basically friendly. There was “always a very constructive cooperation” with the SPÖ and Rendi-Wagner: “It worked well for a long time”, especially during the pandemic. Wöginger’s wish: “May quieter times come again for the SPÖ.”
FPÖ remained seated when Rendi-Wagner left
Rendi-Wagner pleaded in her farewell speech for cooperation between all parties. At the same time, she indirectly referred to the leadership conflict in her own party: “We need a new understanding of political leadership that is not limited to the admiration of male rituals of power.” The plenary thanked the outgoing SPÖ chairmen with standing ovations, only the PVV left – if at all – with applause.
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.
