Karl Nehammer’s chancellorship is over, the successor in the party is still open. Tomorrow, Sunday, the ÖVP committees are expected to discuss the successor. Two names have been mentioned repeatedly recently.
Among them is Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Secretary General of the Economic Chamber (45), who governed Upper Austria for years together with the FPÖ. He served as State Councilor for Social Affairs and Youth until October 2024, before being sworn in as a member of the National Council. In addition to his political work, Hattmannsdorfer served on various supervisory boards and positions in the private sector, including at the OÖ Wohnbau Gesellschaft.
He holds a PhD in social and economic sciences and worked at the Market Institute for Opinion and Media Research before his political career. In his personal life, the politician is married and has two children. On Saturday evening, the SPÖ named him as one of the ÖVP representatives who “loved the Blues” and “wanted to continue as before”.
Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is appointed as the new successor. The 38-year-old has already been chancellor twice, including 17 months in a coalition with the FPÖ. He was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration and party chairman. Kurz currently works as an investor and entrepreneur, for example for the Emirati oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. In February 2024, he was convicted of making false statements before the Ibiza Commission of Inquiry.
Edtstadler is hard to imagine
In his private life, Kurz is in a relationship and has a son. Both Kurz and Hattmannsdorfer should be able to work with the FPÖ – at least they have proven that in the past. However, it is considered very unlikely that the 38-year-old will become vice-chancellor under FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. According to analysts, Kurz as new party chairman would likely lead to new elections. He had Kickl thrown out of the government in the past.
Former constitutional minister Karoline Edtstadler – some tip her to make a comeback – is also difficult to imagine as Kickl’s political partner.
The ÖVP committees in the Federal Chancellery will discuss the successor on Sunday at 10 a.m. Nehammer will then resign his mandate for government formation. A statement from Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen is then expected.
“We will see whether the People’s Party has now at least partially understood the power of the voters in the National Council elections,” said Herbert Kickl.
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.
