KPÖ and Greens form coalition in Graz: Kahr stays

Alongside Kahr, Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner of the Greens belongs to the new city senate. Schwentner, who already served as Deputy Mayor in the previous legislative period, thus remains in her function. With her, the Greens provide one of the four members represented in the city senate and thereby secure continued influence on Graz's city politics.

Personnel composition of the city senate

For the KPÖ, the incumbent city councilors Robert Krotzer and Manfred Eber will be part of the new city senate. Krotzer is active in the current government as councilor for health and Eber as councilor for finance. Both retain their previous portfolios and will continue to lead them in the new coalition. In doing so, the coalition partners are relying on personnel continuity in two central policy areas of the city.

Unlike in Vienna, there is no system of non-executive city councilors in Graz. "Anders als beispielsweise in Wien kennt Graz kein System der nicht amtsführenden Stadträte", it says in the agreement. All members of the city senate are therefore equipped with their own portfolios in the new constellation, which secures additional scope for shaping policy to the respective parties.

No non-executive city councilors in Graz

The agreement between the two parties had already been expected from within city politics, after the KPÖ had emerged as the strongest force in the previous municipal council election. The Greens saw the KPÖ as the preferred coalition partner, while talks with the ÖVP and FPÖ did not open up any majority options. With the constellation now agreed upon, the KPÖ and Greens together hold the mandates needed for a majority in the city senate.

Starting situation after the municipal council election

At the time of the agreement, the exact distribution of portfolios beyond the four city senate seats is still open. The coalition partners must in particular clarify which additional agendas will be handled by the city councilors in the future. The filling of further positions in the city administration is also still pending, so the coalition agreement is to be fleshed out further in the coming weeks.

With the agreement, the KPÖ and Greens are continuing the course they have taken in Graz's city politics. In the recent past, the city had already been shaped by the cooperation of the two parties, which was reflected, among other things, in housing policy and environmental policy initiatives. The continuation of the cooperation is regarded by observers as a confirmation of the path taken so far.

For the opposition of ÖVP and FPÖ, the new coalition means a significant shift in the balance of power at Graz's city hall. Both parties had clearly distanced themselves from the KPÖ during the election campaign and will position themselves as opposition in the future. City politics will thus continue to be dominated by the alliance of KPÖ and Greens in the coming years.