1000 people – 590 men and 410 women – joined Upper Austria as new members in March, the party announced in a broadcast on Saturday. SP chairman Michael Lindner is pleased “with the great encouragement” and the “enormous interest” in getting involved in social democracy. Around a quarter of the new members have joined the Linz district organization.
“The member survey has already triggered enormous momentum,” said Lindner on Friday to the OÖ Nachrichten. This week alone, 500 people have joined the SPÖ. “I was always convinced that such elements of direct democracy pay off.” If the federal party had more courage in this process, it would have saved a lot of excitement and had clarity earlier, according to the state party leader.
more on the subject
The red leadership show between dynamism and candidate chaos
Rendi-Wagner addresses members with a video
Meanwhile, incumbent Pamela Rendi-Wagner has addressed the members in a video. In it, she promotes the approach taken with member surveys and a party congress, so that “debates about ourselves that are paralyzing us as a movement” can finally be ended.
As party leader, it is important to her to make “these necessary decisions” quickly, “so that the urgent solutions and issues that we have for our country are in the foreground again.” The most recent resolutions ensure that there is a “democratically legitimate decision”.
In the almost one and a half minute video, which shows Rendi-Wagner outdoors with a rather serious expression, the party leader did not call the current situation easy for people close to social democracy. But she also knows that this situation will be overcome. The SPÖ is a party of confidence, which is why they see the coming weeks as an opportunity, says Rendi-Wagner, who ends the video with a “heartfelt” friendship and happiness.
