Gewessler becomes the new leader of the Greens: A new beginning for the party!

Gewessler becomes the new leader of the Greens: A new beginning for the party!

On Sunday, June 28, 2025, Leonore Gewessler will be elected as the new federal spokeswoman for the Greens. This happens during a party meeting in Vienna, where she succeeds Werner Kogler, who is returning to the National Council mandate. The special thing about this election: Gewessler is uniformly supported by the party leadership without any opposing candidates. This election also marks the start of a new phase for the Green Party's political direction.

Gewessler, who has been active in federal politics since 2019 and was previously known as climate protection minister, made a name for herself in her environmental, energy and transport departments during the coalition with the ÖVP. Their decision to support the controversial EU renaturation law put the turquoise-green coalition at risk and brought them personal risks. This bold decision not only boosted her political profile, but also positioned her as a target for attacks from business and the FPÖ, which oppose climate action.

New course and challenges

Gewessler is the fifth woman to lead the Green Party and is planning a tour of Austria after going into opposition to get in touch with the population. The other positions to be elected in the party executive committee include five additional members of the federal executive committee and a finance officer. The General Secretariat will be abolished, a position previously held by Olga Voglauer. Gewessler will present her new role to 265 voting delegates at the Federal Congress in the Vienna Trade Fair. After her speech and a hearing, the election takes place for a three-year term of office.

Gewessler would like to continue to lead the Greens with their motto “Hearty, but tough”. She is currently wearing a shorter hairstyle, which could symbolize her new beginning. There were also candidates such as Alma Zadic, Stefan Kaineder and Sigrid Maurer who were considered for the party leadership, but ultimately the decision fell on Gewessler, who is strongly anchored in the party and is characterized by a consistent climate protection course.

Given the challenges that await the Greens in the opposition role, Gewessler's approach is crucial. She recently received her first call to order in the National Council for a statement against the government, which makes it clear that she does not want to be in the shadows in politics during her term in office.

For more information you can visit the coverage vienna.at, oe24.at and orf.at read up.