ÖVP leader and Chancellor Karl Nehammer presented the People’s Party’s list of candidates for the EU elections on Monday, together with Secretary General Christian Stocker and top candidate Reinhold Lopatka. It was unanimously emphasized that no burden was seen in the non-legally binding conviction of party colleague and ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
“Judicial decisions must be taken into account,” Nehammer briefly explained on Monday in response to a journalist’s question about the short verdict. The procedure for false statements goes to the next authority; this process remains to be seen. He sees “no burden on the election campaign,” the Chancellor said on the sidelines of the presentation of the list of candidates for the European Parliament elections on June 9. Nehammer sees a challenge in turnout, which has always been lower in EU elections than in elections for the National Council.
Lopatka: “No ballast for election campaign”
The EU party leader also sees “no ballast” in the conviction in the first instance of ex-party leader Kurz, he will not be “distracted by anything” and wants to lead a “positive European election campaign”. Behind Lopatka, there are a total of 41 other people on the turquoise list who are running for seats in the EU Parliament.
The incumbent delegation leader Angelika Winzig, Alexander Bernhuber, Sophia Kircher and Lukas Mandl, who are running in places 2 to 5, have good prospects for a parliamentary seat. According to Secretary General Stocker, the Lower Austrian Bernhuber is already taking on agricultural agendas as an EU parliamentarian.
Also not surprising is the renewed candidacy of Lower Austrian Lukas Mandl. In 6th and 7th place are Isabella Kaltenegger, member of the Styrian Federal Council, and former moderator Wolfram Pirchner. ÖVP chairman Nehammer spoke about a strong, highly motivated team during the presentation on Monday.
Driving force Karas away, losses predicted
The turquoise delegation in the European Parliament currently consists of seven ÖVP representatives. However, the polls predict losses for the People’s Party. Moreover, long-serving and well-known European politician and former Vice President of the EU Parliament, Othmar Karas, is no longer a candidate due to differences with the party leadership. There is speculation that he could run for his own list or for another party – such as NEOS.
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.
