Christian Stocker, the unknown Chancellor who has to pull the Austrian economy out of the slop

Anyone who had asked passers -by on the street in Austria a few months ago if they know Christian Stocker, would probably have received many questioning faces. Outside of politics, the Secretary General of the Christian Democratic ÖVP enjoyed virtually no fame. But the longest and most chaotic formation period in Austrian history changed that. Since Monday, Stocker can call himself Chancellor of Austria.

Chancellery also came unexpectedly for the 64-year-old Stocker. After the first round coalition negotiations between his party, the Social Democratic Spö and the Liberal Neos clapped at the beginning of January, party leader Karl Nehammer then decided to resign. The ÖVP then had to look for a new chairman as quickly as possible, but a clear candidate was missing – a problem that the party has been struggling with in 2021 since the departure of Sebastian Kurz.

To many surprise, party prominent people chose Stocker as his successor, for Stocker himself a surprise. “On the day the decision was made, I drove to Vienna in jeans and a turtleneck,” he said to The Austrian newspaper Die Presse. “A few hours later I had to ask for a suit with tie.”

Traces of foot from his father

The former lawyer quickly climbed within the party. In 2019 he switched from the local to national politics and thus entered the footsteps of his father, who was also on behalf of the ÖVP in the National Council of Austria. Three years later he became Secretary General of the Christian Democrats and again three years later, Stocker was at the head of the ÖVP without his name on the ballot in September.

He became the third consecutive party leader of the ÖVP who had not conducted a campaign. Anyway, because charisma is not attributed to him. According to Austrian media, Stocker is somewhat colorless, but it does radiate order and stability. And that fits well with the assignment he received: reducing peace to the party, at a crucial moment. The conservatives had lost many votes, were stuck in the negotiations and were now standing for a dilemma: a new ballot box or still at the table with the FPö – against the election promise.

As a pragmaticus, Stocker, a reputation he built up by holding a broad coalition together in Wiener Neustadt, for the latter option as a vice -mayor. For more than a month, he negotiated with Herbert Kickl, the leader of the pro-Russian and anti-European freedom party, with whom cooperation was previously excluded by Nehammer because of his extreme views. Although the values ​​of the FPö do not at all correspond to Stockers Pro-European position and his criticism of Russia, he remained professional. So much so that Kickl praised him after the negotiations hurt by saying that they had built up a good working relationship.

Party leaders of ÖVP, Spö and Neos after the inauguration of their coalition government in the presidential palace, March 3. In the middle, Stocker speaks with President Alexander van der Bellen.

Adaptability

After the negotiations with the FPö got stuck in mid -February on the distribution of the ministerial posts, Stocker again showed his adaptability by knocking on the Spö and the banking tax proposed by the Social Democrats, where his center party was strongly opposed to the table during the first round of negotiations. That compromise was politically valuable: if the parties had not come out, Austria had to go to the polls again. And according to the polls they would only lead to greater profit for the FPö.

During the second round negotiations with the Spö and Neos, Stocker achieved success. On the brand new Federal Chancellor, who likes to play waves in his spare time, Fish and Saxophone is playing the difficult task of leading Austria out of a recession, to reduce unemployment and reduce the budget deficit by cutting back considerably. He must also introduce more stricter asylum policy, a theme that has driven many voters in the arms of the FPö.

He should do that with a coalition based on shaky collaborations between three parties, unique in Austria, who mainly share that they want to keep the FPö outside the government. His age can come in handy for him. Because Stocker’s pension is approaching, it is unlikely, according to analysts, that he will pull the cart in the next elections, planned in 2029. He therefore does not have to worry about his popularity as a leader and can fully focus on keeping the coalition standing.

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