Social Democrats shuffle leaders to halt polling slide
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Former ORF Director General Roland Weissmann has initiated legal action against the public broadcaster, alleging sexual harassment. This development is accompanied by a public prosecutor's investigation into an employee and her lawyer, raising further questions about Pius Strobl's involvement in the ongoing scandal. The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Gerhard Holzer, is also scheduled to be questioned by an investigative committee, which is probing information flow related to Christian Pilnacek's death, with anti-corruption expert Martin Kreutner commenting on the inquiry's findings.
In political developments, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) executive board has appointed Eva-Maria Holzleitner, the Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research, and Philip Kucher, the parliamentary group leader, to new leadership positions, signaling a concrete step in the party's transition. Discussions are also underway regarding Markus Marterbauer, the Federal Minister of Finance, and his potential to lead the SPÖ out of its polling slump, with SPÖ politician Petra Kohl indicating no alternative plan to Marterbauer.
Meanwhile, the city of Vienna plans to expand its employer tax to finance new subway construction. Other domestic news includes a gas station explosion resulting in severe burns, a fatal climbing accident in Lower Austria, and a report on rising PR costs at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce under former President Walter Ruck.