SPÖ leader Babler meets with state party chiefs – Doskozil also attends

Background: Tensions within the SPÖ

According to consistent reports, the conversation was constructive in substance, without any concrete decisions being made public. There was no subsequent press conference. The SPÖ pointed to a planned retreat, at which the points discussed were to be examined in greater depth.

Regardless of the current meeting, speculation about possible changes at the top of the SPÖ continues. Babler has faced repeated internal party criticism since his election as federal party leader; Doskozil is considered popular in his home region in polls, but is viewed in mixed terms outside Burgenland. Vienna's state party chief Michael Ludwig is also regularly mentioned as a possible contender for the nationwide lead candidacy.

Doris Bures, who co-prepared the meeting, sees herself, by her own account, as a mediator between the wings. She had recently emphasized on several occasions that the party must demonstrate unity in its current role as the opposition. Bures has many years of experience in federal politics and in Viennese state politics.

The role of Doris Bures

Behind the scenes, the experiences of recent elections also likely played a role at the meeting. The SPÖ has had to absorb sometimes significant losses in several state and municipal elections in recent months, which has intensified the debate over the party's correct course.

Observers assess the fact that all key state party chiefs sat down at a table together with Babler as at least a formal signal of unity. Whether this will translate into substantive unity remains to be seen, according to the SPÖ.

The next major test for the SPÖ is expected to be an upcoming state election in eastern Austria. In the meantime, according to its own statements, the party is planning a substantive realignment and a stronger profiling vis-à-vis the federal government.

Outlook: State elections and communications

The party is also discussing how communications can be modernized. In this context, reference was made to the experiences of other parties, which had increasingly relied on social media and digital formats in recent years.

In conclusion, participants stated that they had agreed to hold regular follow-up talks. No specific date for the next meeting of the state party chiefs was given.