Campaigning begins in Carinthia: this is how Peter Kaiser wants to defend first place

The Carinthian SPÖ started campaigning for the March 5 state elections in Villach on Saturday. State party chairman and acting governor Peter Kaiser presented himself as a stabilizer, and it was now important to develop Carinthia further: “The good things must go on.” Polls see SPÖ – albeit with losses – in the first place.

In the lively event hall of the Congress Center in Villach, completely bathed in red light, some 500 officials are prepared for the upcoming “election marathon”. From Sunday, there are 42 days until the election, and in line with the 42 kilometers of the marathon, Kaiser wants to complete 42 dates. In keeping with the slogan, party leaders Pamela Rende Wagner and Peter Kaiser took to the stage with the song “Keep Running”.

Rendi-Wagner advocates a red climate policy

Rende Wagner took up issues that were already discussed two weeks ago at the presidential retreat in Klagenfurt: inflation, the energy transition, asylum and migration. When it comes to the climate crisis, you can’t just “follow the green ideology, but see the big picture. Only we can do that.” Although there is opposition at the federal level, they still provide content beyond the headlines.

Particularly on inflation, the chairwoman of the Federalist Party took the federal government to court: one-time measures would cost a lot, but they wear off quickly. The current social policy, especially when it comes to dealing with retirees, is a disgrace, it “gave the Greens a porter social compass when they joined the federal government”. So it is “time for social democracy to take the lead in this country again”. Rents should not depend on inflation, but on the main interest rate, suspending the tax on groceries would relieve people of their daily shopping, Rende Wagner repeated her already well-known positions.

“Who, if you do not know what it means to bring forward a federal state,” she drove at last to Carinthia. Kaiser’s policy is different: “Calm, competent, prudent, crisis-resistant. He’s a real team player.” “Name and address: Peter Kaiser. I will walk with you, we are by your side,” concluded Carinthia’s success.

The Caesar Sees Carinthia in the “Fast Lane”

Finally, the incumbent governor was greeted with much more ecstasy than the chairman of the Federalist party. He emphasized community and didn’t skimp on marathon metaphors either: such a marathon requires “total commitment and good preparation so that you can win it in a meaningful way”. Kaiser presented himself as a stabilizer in a fast-moving time, in the ten years he was governor he saw six chancellors: “I think that in these times, which are more difficult than ever, continuity is also an important factor in terms of personnel.”

Kaiser again used the example of Carinthia as a car “taken out of the fault lane and into the fast lane”: “If you ask yourself how long we’ll be in the fast lane, I’ll say: No worries, we can drive.” Now we want to speed up even more. But first it is about the ‘end’ of March 5th: “I want this result to be an order to continue our work. It must be a rejection of the ‘Everyone against SPÖ’ movement.”

“Plan K” by Kaiser

In the coming days, SPÖ wants to present the “K-Plan for Carinthia”. At least the buzzwords for this are already obvious: affordable living, the modern welfare state, honest climate policy, good work, a strong economy, a healthy future, the best education and a solidary society.

As the mayor of Villach, Günter Albel, warned in his speech against the coalition against SPÖ – Carinthia’s top candidate Gerhard Koffer hinted something like this: “We’re working on it in the background. That’s why it means to us: run and run to get a result that Who would not even think of judging us.” Fit for the task, he gave Kaiser a running jersey bearing the starting number 1.

Kaiser’s counterparts, Hans-Peter Doskozil and Michael Ludwig, delivered motivational speeches via video message. Burgenland Governor Duskozil praised Kaiser’s ability to “connect different poles in the party”.