ÖVP Nominates Florian Tursky as Top Candidate for Innsbruck Municipal Elections

ÖVP Nominates Florian Tursky as Top Candidate for Innsbruck Municipal Elections

ÖVP Settles Internal Disputes

The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) in Innsbruck has managed to settle its internal disputes and has agreed on a candidate for the upcoming municipal elections. Florian Tursky, currently the State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, has been chosen as the top candidate. This decision may potentially trigger a restructuring of the ÖVP government team and also cause another split in the city party.

Tursky to Apply for Party’s Internal Candidacy

The ÖVP and the “For Innsbruck” list, which originally emerged from the ÖVP, have agreed on Florian Tursky as the top candidate for the municipal elections scheduled for next year. Tursky will officially apply for the party’s internal candidacy. The Innsbruck ÖVP party executive is expected to nominate Tursky as the top candidate in early October, and he is likely to be elected at the subsequent city party congress in November.

Uncertainty Regarding Tursky’s Future Role

It remains unclear whether Tursky will continue as State Secretary after the municipal elections, which will take place in April 2024. The party is planning a press conference where Tursky is expected to provide further information.

Potential Split in the City Party

However, this agreement between the two ÖVP factions could potentially motivate the current ÖVP Vice Mayor, Hannes Anzengruber, to instigate another split. He announced on Sunday via a Facebook video that he also intends to run as a top candidate. He previously caused a stir with a letter to Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), in which he demanded an internal ÖVP member survey to oppose his election removal.

Historic Settlement

Despite the potential for further conflict, Governor Mattle has clearly positioned himself in favor of Tursky and referred to the agreement as a “historic settlement”. He stated that “the bourgeois forces in Innsbruck are united again and are pulling together for the good of the city”.

Conclusion

In summary, the ÖVP in Innsbruck has settled its internal disputes and nominated Florian Tursky as the top candidate for the upcoming municipal elections. However, this decision could potentially trigger another split in the city party, led by Vice Mayor Hannes Anzengruber.