The series of parliamentary group meetings before the establishment of the National Council started on Wednesday afternoon with that of the ÖVP. In the club debate, Chancellor Karl Nehammer will now also be elected leader of the parliamentary group. August Wöginger takes over the day-to-day management as club chairman. Peter Haubner is nominated as the candidate for the second president of the National Council.
The latter did not want to comment on the contents before his election by the National Council. However, he would be very happy if he were nominated by the ÖVP club and given the office, said a beaming Haubner. Nehammer made no comment before the club meeting, Wöginger will make a statement afterwards.
Ministers simultaneously become members of parliament
The People’s Party parliamentary club shrank significantly during the elections, with relatively few new representatives added. Six MPs are brand new, the most prominent of which is former Upper Austrian State Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer. There are also eight who also hold their ministerships, from Chancellor Nehammer to State Secretary Claudia Plakolm. Of the VP ministers, only Alexander Schallenberg and Martin Polaschek do not have a mandate.
As usual, the leagues, behind club bosses Nehammer and Wöginger, must be represented accordingly in the alternate squad. Nominated are women’s boss Juliane Bogner-Strauß, general secretary of the economic association Kurt Egger, Michael Hammer of the ÖAAB and chairman Georg Strasser of the farmers’ association. Harald Himmer comes from the Federal Council and Angelika Winzig from the European Parliament.
Freedom Party with a controversial proposal
The Freedom Party club meeting in the afternoon is likely to attract even more interest. Walter Rosenkranz is nominated as a candidate for the election of Chairman of the National Council. He would be the first FPÖ politician in this position. Herbert Kickl is still scheduled to be club boss. Rosenkranz has another appointment after the club meeting. He takes part in a discussion with the NEOS parliamentarians. The NEOS had already supplemented their club management last week with Beate Meinl-Reisinger and deputy Nikolaus Scherak.
Babler will have a key role within the club
The SPÖ already set the first course in a board meeting at the beginning of this week. Accordingly, Andreas Babler is introduced as club president. However, on Wednesday the club’s general meeting will decide whether Philip Kucher should handle day-to-day business as managing club boss or as one of Babler’s deputies. Doris Bures is nominated as a candidate for the post of third president.
The Greens are tight-lipped about their committees. In addition to his ministerial task, Werner Kogler would also lead the parliamentary club. Sigrid Maurer will therefore step back and become a deputy.
Source: Krone
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