Around 1,000 ÖVP supporters from all over the country gathered in the Klagenfurt exhibition hall to support their Chancellor on political Ash Wednesday.
The “custom” of political Ash Wednesday was adopted from Bavaria in 1992 by Jörg Haider. The event has now developed into a political spectacle – and Chancellor Karl Nehammer is using this day to build on his Austrian plan in the Klagenfurt exhibition hall alongside Carinthia’s ÖVP boss Martin Gruber and the German ex-minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg.ÖVP- Celebrities on siteOver 1,000 of his officials and party colleagues made a pilgrimage to Carinthia from all over Austria; including Youth State Secretary Claudia Plakolm, Federal Managing Director Alexander Pröll, General Secretary Christian Stocker, EU top candidate Reinhold Lopatka, EU MP Lukas Mandl and many more. Also the protest action by the VGT (Association against Animal Factories), which once again called for a ban in front of the exhibition hall The demand for fully slatted floors did nothing to dampen the positive mood. Applause to the beat of the music, a standing ovation for the Federal Chancellor. Looking back on election success A year ago, the Carinthian ÖVP leader Martin Gruber was still on the political Ash Wednesday stage as a state councilor – at that time the aim was to beat the state elections in March 2023. Today he reflects on the surprising result at the time: “The so-called experts were wrong. I thank you all with great humility!” For Gruber, 2024 will be “a year of directional decisions!” That’s why he appeals: “Responsibility instead of populism!” Ironically, slogans quickly followed: “When a girl in Austria cannot take part in swimming lessons for cultural reasons “If a father doesn’t shake the teacher’s hand on parent-teacher conference day and if St. Martin’s Day is renamed the Festival of Lights – where are we then?” After lightening jokes, ex-minister from Germany Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg also gave words of warning.
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