“No petitioners” – Andreas Babler wants to deal with the rich

The message from Andreas Babler at the Linz Design Center was clear: the rich should dress warmly under his leadership. He longs for a strong social democracy and initially wallows in memories. The mayor of Traiskirchner speaks of strong “working-class families and unions” of the past. They were ‘proud’ of that, he calls out to the comrades.

But gradually they would have been sold to “multinationals”. The rules of the game would disadvantage “workers” – also at European level. “But we are no worse than the prevailing system.” After Hans Peter Doskozil’s speech, Babler speaks in a remarkably loud voice to substantiate his points.

Rich should fund plans
Inflation is fueled by “greed”. Skimming off excess profits in times of crisis is “immoral”. Babler calls for state intervention and punishment in the “radical market” – including rent caps and price controls. Every child should also be lifted out of poverty with basic child protection. Spending the night in “fungus” houses should be a thing of the past. The least is the guarantee of one hot meal a day. Babeler fervently shouts, “All rights to all children.”

All this should be possible with a “fair wealth tax”. 96 percent of households would benefit from his policy. The richest four percent of the population should now be asked to pay. This should also put an end to the question “Who should pay for this?” Wealth tax must become a coalition condition under his leadership. It has nothing to do with “dreaming”. “Dreamer is just another word for social democrat,” explains Babler, citing successes such as the eight-hour workday, community building, and maternity leave.

“Wage transparency as the most important requirement”
Babeler wants to return to the “foundation form”. Social Democracy is not a ‘supplier’. Short-time work with full wage compensation, which he advocates, would be “our right”.

The mayor of Traiskirchner calls for “equal pay for equal work” for women and speaks of “one of the greatest disrespect” of our time. A “wage transparency” is the “most important demand of social democracy”. When it comes to care, he largely agrees with “Hans Peter”.

Babeler wonders why there is such a lack of care. “Social democracy means bottom-up thinking”, burnt-out nurses should be a thing of the past. Everyone should have a “guarantee” of the best free medical care. Babeler wants to “take back the organizations”.

Even guest workers are not ‘suppliers’. Here Baber claims voting rights in Austria. The republic needs “labor migration”, otherwise “we would be done in a few months”. “Who are the people doing the dirty dishes?”

Climate as a priority
As SPÖ leader, Babeler wants to pay particular attention to climate change and stand firm for science and activism. “An intact planet” is a “primal democratic struggle for distribution” and a question of “social justice”. Because in the end “the super rich would still leave the air conditioning on while millions of people flee”.

Declaration of war on the FPÖ
Babler wants to win elections again and quotes football legend Johann Cruyff: “If we have the ball, the opponent will not score any goals.” With “respect and equality” he wants to take the thematic battlefield from the FPÖ. Directing anger at those “who come to us with the plastic bag” would not exist under him.

Babeler sees itself as one. He is not part of past “wounds”. He countered that he couldn’t possibly address a broad electorate, referring to the more than 70 percent he had persuaded to vote in Traiskirchen. He wants to spread this local success to the whole of Austria: “Now the dawn of a new era begins.”

He wants to bring back the SPÖ: “We are a membership organization.” Babler wants to return to a social democracy “that is afraid of nothing and no one”. He ends his speech with a “sincere friendship and happiness”. As with Doskozil, there was a standing ovation for his loud speech.