If governor Doskozil wants to become chancellor, he has to be careful, says political scientist Penlinka. Because for an alliance – for example with the FPÖ – he needs more reds than just those in Burgenland.
Although the SPÖ ranks first in terms of voter favor in current polls, there is no room for joy internally. On the contrary: The house blessing is once again crooked. The protagonists of the dispute are well known: on one side there is federal party chairman Pamela Rendi-Wagner, on the other side Burgenland’s governor Hans Peter Doskozil.
The latter, contrary to the official, waiting line, recently called in a red candidate for the federal presidential election in autumn, questioned the planned compulsory vaccination against the corona virus and stayed away from the Social Democrats’ New Year’s retreat, to which he had been explicitly invited. Shortly afterwards, his regional manager Roland Fürst denied the Burgenland Reds’ plans to split off, but spoke of “extremely angry” party members who “no longer wanted to support the federal party chairman.”
Political scientist Anton Pelinka does not see a long-term planned strategy by Doskozil behind the threat, as he said on Wednesday in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal”: “If he wants to become party leader of the entire SPÖ, for which something could speak, then he would not have to turn the escalation screw any further because such an approach would cost the Burgenlander sympathy in large parts of the social democrats and their supporters.
“The entire SPÖ will definitely not follow him”
“If he wants to become Federal Chancellor,” continued Pelinka, “for example in a conceivable alliance with a liberal party, then he needs the entire SPÖ, then the Burgenland SPÖ is not enough”. However: “The entire SPÖ will definitely not follow him, especially not if he threatens to split the party.”
All in all, the dispute within the Reds leaves behind only losers, said Pelinka on ORF radio: “Because it is of course not attractive when one party publicly sends threatening letters to each other.”
By the way, Pamela Rendi-Wagner has not reacted to the latest statements by Fürst to date – and should keep it that way, said Pelinka. What is needed are rebukes in the direction of Doskozil from other important figures in the party, for example the Second President of the National Council, Doris Bures, or the governors of Carinthia or Vienna. It is questionable whether that will happen.
>>> Report in the Ö1 “Morning Journal”
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