Wiener SPÖ Landesparteitag: Ludwig Wins 92.33% Amid Criticism Over Airbnb and Public Transport Prices

Michael Ludwig has been re-elected as chairman of the Vienna branch of Austria’s Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) with 92.33 percent of the vote, according to official results from the party’s regional congress held on April 20, 2024.

The landslide victory confirms Ludwig’s continued leadership of Vienna’s SPÖ, a position he has held since 2018. At the 77th Landesparteitag of SPÖ Wien, 985 delegates participated in the vote, with the overwhelming majority endorsing his re-election.

Ludwig, who also serves as Mayor of Vienna, emphasized unity and readiness for upcoming electoral challenges in his acceptance remarks. He stated that the party would “govern closed ranks into the coming elections” and successfully manage ongoing campaigns including the European Parliament election, the National Council election, and the ongoing Chamber of Labour election.

He highlighted the importance of collective effort, noting that Vienna’s reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities stems from the combined work of the city government, district officials, and volunteers dedicated to improving residents’ quality of life.

The regional party executive was also elected with strong delegate support during the congress. Ludwig affirmed that the SPÖ Vienna team remains united and reliable, backed by both the European Social Democrats faction and the federal party leadership.

Barbara Novak, MA, SPÖ Vienna’s regional party secretary, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, underscoring the collaborative nature of the leadership team and their shared commitment to advancing the city’s social democratic agenda.

The party congress served as the official launch of SPÖ Vienna’s campaign for the June 9 European elections. SPÖ’s lead candidate, Andreas Schieder, used the platform to warn against threats to democracy, citing social inequality and the risk of a rightward shift in European politics as major concerns.

Schieder specifically criticized the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), suggesting its potential advocacy for EU withdrawal would be “an absolute disaster,” and condemned both the ÖVP-Green coalition and other parties for allegedly obstructing progress in Brussels.

The event opened with remarks from Nicolas Schmit, the Luxembourg-born EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs and lead candidate for the Party of European Socialists, who framed the election as a pivotal moment for the future of a democratic and rule-of-law-based Europe.

Ludwig’s re-election with over 92 percent support marks a slight decrease from his 94.4 percent result at the 2022 regional party congress, though it remains a decisive endorsement of his leadership within Vienna’s Social Democratic movement.