Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus: New top duo of the Viennese Greens!

Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus: New top duo of the Viennese Greens!

on Saturday, March 27, 2025, was elected as a new top duo at the State Assembly of the Vienna Greens at the Vienna Messe Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus. The two new party experts received 168 out of 201 valid votes, which corresponds to an approval of 83.6 percent. There were no opponents, and Pühringer and Kraus waived individual speeches in order to focus on cooperation. Pühringer expressed the desire for a paradigm shift and a change in political culture. Her motto is: "Together instead of lonely wolves and salvation." During this time,

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

Focus of the new party leadership

Pühringer responded to the appreciation of the educational system and criticized the "break in the promise of education" by the NEOS. She called for more teachers and lessons at schools. The new leadership announced the development of a green "fundamental program", which was started directly in the state assembly. This development is a response to Birgit Hebein's resignation, under which the Greens were able to take important political course.

The Greens Vienna have been represented in the Vienna City Council and Landtag with 16 MPs since 2020 and have played an important role in Viennese state politics in the past. As coalition partners in the Häupl V, Häupl VI and Ludwig I from 2010 to 2020, they have shaped important environmental and transport projects in Vienna. In the context of the current political situation, the federal spokesman and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler praised the responsibility of the Greens 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 formed with a focus on ecology and environmental protection. After initial successes, such as preventing the construction of the observatory park in 1973, the alternative lists Vienna 1983 and the electoral community for citizens' initiatives and environmental protection competed. Over the decades, the party developed into a fixture in the Vienna municipal council and state parliament and achieved excellent support from the population in the elections.

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