Andreas Babler announced his withdrawal as Vice Chancellor and SPÖ party leader on Sunday evening. Following the announcement, Babler posted a video on Instagram addressed to party members. Minister for Women Eva-Maria Holzleitner and Philip Kucher will assist.
Holzleitner and Kucher, the SPÖ club leader and government coordinator, will support Babler until the end of the year. They are set to take over leadership until an extraordinary party congress. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer is also part of the shift.
Marterbauer is scheduled to become Vice Chancellor for the SPÖ in early 2027, though he is currently undergoing cancer therapy. Other key figures in the government include NEOS Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr and ÖVP State Secretary Alexander Pröll.