Change at the top: Manuela Khom takes over as party leader after Drexler!

Not even a day before the official presentation of the new state government in Styria, Christopher Drexler, the still regional captain, pulls the ripcord. After the last meeting of the committees of the Styrian People's Party, he leaves the room without a word and thus announces its resignation, reports . He will not be part of the new government team with the FPÖ and clears his position as party leader for Manuela Khom, the previous state parliament president. Drexler will be the second president of the state parliament in the future.

Manuela Khom not only takes over as the new party leader of the Styrian ÖVP, but will also act as the deputy of Mario Kunasek (FPÖ). Drexler had hoped to enter the new FPÖ-led government, but his party stood against him. The previous first President of the Landtag will temporarily take over the management of the People's Party, as reports the press . The work agreement "Strong Styria. Safe Future" encounters unanimous approval among the coalition partners, and the future government structure will be presented on December 18, 2024 in the constituent meeting of the state parliament.

The reactions of the FPÖ

The Styrian FPÖ reacted calmly to the change of personnel within the People's Party and emphasized that one would not interfere with the coalition partner's decisions. The party is optimistic about the upcoming cooperation and is confident about the presentation of the new government team. However, the upcoming departments have not yet been announced, which raises speculation about the future distribution of power in the new government.