Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus: New top duo for the Vienna Greens!

Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus: New top duo for the Vienna Greens!

On Saturday, March 27, 2025, Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus were elected as the new top duo at the state meeting of the Vienna Greens in the Vienna Trade Fair. The two new party leaders received 168 of 201 valid votes, which corresponds to an approval rating of 83.6 percent. There were no opposing candidacies, and Pühringer and Kraus refrained from making individual speeches in order to emphasize cooperation. Pühringer expressed the desire for a paradigm shift and a change in political culture. Their motto is: “Together instead of lonely wolves and saviors”.

Pühringer, who has been supported by Lucia Torres-Venegas for four years, has faced the challenge of enforcing her line as party leader during this time. As team coordinator, Torres-Venegas is responsible for organizing Pühringer's daily routine and describes the collaboration as complex, which increasingly seems necessary to implement the Greens' political goals. In his speech, Kraus criticized the SPÖ and NEOS for inadequate measures against the climate crisis and pointed to successful projects such as the 365 euro annual ticket. He cited Paris and Barcelona as role models for transport and environmental projects and warned of a possible “concrete city” in Vienna.

Priorities of the new party leadership

Pühringer addressed the appreciation of the education system and criticized the “breaking of the educational promise” by NEOS. She called for more teachers and lessons in schools. The new leadership announced the development of a green “fundamental program”, which was launched directly in the state assembly. This development is a reaction to the resignation of Birgit Hebein, under which the Greens were able to make important political decisions.

The Vienna Greens have been represented with 16 members in the Vienna municipal council and state parliament since 2020 and have played a significant role in Vienna's state politics in the past. As coalition partners in the Häupl V, Häupl VI and Ludwig I governments from 2010 to 2020, they helped shape important environmental and transport projects in Vienna. In the context of the current political situation, federal spokesman and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler praised the Greens' responsibility and pointed out the importance of an independent judiciary.

The history of the Greens in Vienna

The history of the Greens in Vienna goes back to the 1970s, when the green movement was formed with a focus on ecology and environmental protection. After initial successes, such as preventing the observatory park from being built in 1973, the Vienna Alternative Lists in 1983 and the Electoral Association for Citizens' Initiatives and Environmental Protection came into power. Over the decades, the party has developed into a permanent fixture in the Vienna municipal council and state parliament and achieves excellent support from the population in elections.

Today, with Pühringer and Kraus at the helm, a new era is upon us in which the Vienna Greens continue to fight for environmental protection, social justice and a sustainable political culture. The headquarters of the Vienna Green Party is located at Würtzlerstrasse 3/31030 Vienna, where the state assembly, as the highest body, meets regularly and makes important decisions for the future of the party.