ÖVP-Vienna in crisis: Mahrer fights against accusations and poll lows!

ÖVP-Vienna in crisis: Mahrer fights against accusations and poll lows!

The Vienna ÖVP is facing a puzzling challenge! Party leader Karl Mahrer was recently nominated as the top candidate for the local council election on April 27th, while at the same time there is a serious accusation of breach of trust. Loud W24 the party leadership decided to put Mahrer at the top of the list, despite the serious allegations made against him and his wife. He is accused of acting as a liaison to a PR consulting business that received large sums of money from a real estate developer without providing the relevant services. Mahrer rejected all allegations and emphasized that he wanted to win the trust of the people of Vienna.

The situation is becoming more complex due to the intense criticism from outside. Lukas Brucker, state party secretary of the Vienna FPÖ, sharply attacked Mahrer by discussing the conditions within the ÖVP. Loud APA OTS The ÖVP is heavily involved in the discussion about migration and integration in Vienna and at the federal level. Among other things, it was criticized that Mahrer and the ÖVP took over parts of their district groups from Afghan migrants. Brucker drew a clear dividing line between integrated immigrants and social asylum seekers from crisis regions and questioned the ÖVP's commitment to political Islam.

Are Mahrer's ambitions overshadowed by the allegations?

The difficulties of the Vienna ÖVP are remarkable. While the party was considered a big winner in the last elections in 2020, current polls now show a worrying decline. Mahrer is under pressure, with voices within the party already discussing alternatives, while some well-known faces will no longer stand for election. Given these turbulent circumstances, it will be a huge challenge for Mahrer and his team to win back the voters' favor in the upcoming election campaign.