Wiener Grüne moves to the left

On the night of Tuesday, the Greens of Vienna have decided to opt for an election procedure for a month – with a surprise: the social spokesperson and municipal councilor Birgit Hebein will lead the most important party political party, Werner Kogler, as the first candidate in the election of Vienna 2020. Hebein will also be replaced by Deputy Mayor Maria Vbadilakou as a city councilor for transport and urban planning. She had announced that she would no longer be a candidate for a green vanguard and would entrust her duties to the person who would win the party's highest elections next June. It is now hebei.

Surprise at the Greens of Vienna

The choice of a qualified social worker is certainly a surprise. After all, club boss David Ellensohn and adviser Peter Kraus had a much higher chance. Ellensohn, because he is deeply rooted in the Viennese party and can mobilize well there. Kraus, because he was considered the crown prince of Vbadilakous, by her and by the Green Council, Christoph Chorherr (he has a high weight in the party), was also mbadively supported.

Clearly, Hebein, active in various NGOs, has been able to mobilize many so-called registered voters in this environment. So, green supporters who are not party members, but could register as a kind of voter elector to vote in the election of the number one green. After all, Hebein was active from 2000 to 2002 with the AUGE Green Union. Prior to her political career, she worked in the social service department of Caritas Vienna and the consortium of conscientious objectors. That she is the only woman to have any chance of succeeding Maria Vbadilakou, Hebein has especially forced her. "The future is a woman" was the motto of her campaign spot.

Who is Birgit Hebein?

Who is the new boss of the Greens of Vienna? And in which direction will the government partner in Vienna evolve? The central themes of Hebein are Vienna's minimum income and commitment to social weakness. Until here, it was there his main goal. These questions should now force the Greens of Vienna to put themselves under their direction – positions outside the social question are barely known to this day. The current line under Vbadilakou, so z. As a strong concentration on bike lanes, Hebein has never actively pushed, even though she is a pbadionate cyclist in all weathers.

For the SPÖ, governing will become more difficult. Because Hebein is considered intransigent in social policy. After all, the skilled social worker had prevented (some time ago) any change to the minimum income guarantee in Vienna, which the SPÖ wanted to impose on Mayor Michael Häupl and Councilor Sandra Frauenberger – simply stating that it was a question of coalition. If the mayor of the city, Michael Ludwig, keeps the SPÖ Vienna in the center, it is clear that the Greens of Vienna are much more left, but the discussion will be difficult.

But there is a parallel with Michael Ludwig, even if it is happening now (politically) in the other direction: the two must reform their party not to perish in the next elections in Vienna in 2020.