Birgit Hebein

Birgit Hebein (born 13 January 1967) is an Austrian politician of The Greens. She served as Deputy Mayor of Vienna and City Councillor for Urban Development, Transport, Climate Protection, Energy Planning, and Citizen Participation from 2019 to 2020.[1] Since 2019, she has been the inaugural chairwoman of the Vienna Greens.[2][3] Prior, who served as a member of the Gemeinderat and Landtag of Vienna from 2010 to 2019.[4]

Birgit Hebein
Hebein in 2020
Deputy Mayor of Vienna
In office
26 June 2019 – 24 November 2020
Preceded byMaria Vassilakou
Succeeded byChristoph Wiederkehr
Leader of The Greens in Vienna
Assumed office
22 June 2019
Preceded byOffice established
City Councillor for Urban Development, Transport, Climate Protection, Energy Planning, and Citizen Participation
In office
26 June 2019 – 24 November 2020
Preceded byMaria Vassilakou
Succeeded byKathrin Gaál (Housing, Urban Renewal, and Women)
Jürgen Czernohorszky (Climate, the Environment, and Citizen Participation)
Member of the Gemeinderat and Landtag of Vienna
In office
10 October 2010 – 22 June 2019
Personal details
Born
Birgit Hebein

(1967-01-13) 13 January 1967
Villach, Carinthia
Political partyThe Greens – The Green Alternative
Children2

Personal life

Hebein has lived in Vienna since 1986. She is a qualified social worker, and was employed by Caritas Vienna from 1990 to 1992. She also worked in other NGO areas and was active in the conscientious objection group Gruppe für Totalverweigerung (Group for Total Refusal).[4]

Political career

Hebein was responsible for security policy in the Austrian Students' Association from 1996 to 1997. She was elected district councillor for Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus on the Greens list in the 2005 local elections, and served as group chairwoman from 2007. Hebein was elected to the Gemeinderat and Landtag in the 2010 Viennese state election. Since then, she has been the social spokeswoman for the Vienna Greens.[4]

Hebein is secretary of the communist youth organisation "Free Austrian Youth - Movement for Socialism" (FÖJ-BfS).[5]

When hundreds of refugees arrived at Vienna's Westbahnhof railway station in early September 2015, Hebein organized and negotiated with the authorities and ÖBB.[6] In 2018 she drew attention to herself through her commitment to negotiations for the new Vienna minimum income[7] and criticism of the alcohol ban in public spaces. She argued that the ban only leads to displacement, and suggested instead that moderate alcohol consumption should be permitted in care facilities for the homeless so that they do not have to rely on public space.[8]

2018 Greens leadership election

In November 2018, the Vienna Greens held an election to determine their lead candidate for the next state election. After incumbent Deputy Mayor and two-time lead candidate Maria Vassilakou announced her pending retirement and decision not to compete, the election was considered an open contest.[9] Hebein announced her candidacy two days later on 4 September.[10] She was considered a dark horse candidate,[11] described by Der Standard as a representative of the left "Fundi" wing of the party.[4] Hebein won 33% of votes cast in the first round, placing second behind Peter Kraus and ahead of candidates David Ellensohn, Benjamin Kaan, and Marihan Abensperg-Traun. In the fourth and final round of voting, she won the election with 49% of votes to Kraus's 45% (the remainder were invalid).[12][13] Contrary to the speculation of commentators, she clarified that she would continue the Greens' coalition with the SPÖ until the scheduled election date in 2020. Her reputation as a left-winger was reinforced by a widely-reported quip she made shortly after her victory: "Yes, of course I do left-wing politics. What else?"[11][14]

During her first major appearance in front of the party base on 1 December, Hebein voiced her support for a restructuring and opening of the Greens. She stated her aim is to make the party more nimble and action-oriented, but that they should remain ecologically-centred.[15]

Deputy Mayor

Upon Maria Vassilakou's retirement from politics in June 2019, Hebein succeeded her as deputy Mayor and city councillor.[1] The Greens' state congress held at the time voted to change the statutes and, for the first time, establish the office of party chairperson. Hebein thus became the first party chairwoman of the Vienna Greens.[2]

At a party conference in February 2020, Hebein was formally chosen as the Greens' lead candidate for the October state election.[16]

The Greens won 14.8% in the election, their best result to date. They increased their representation in the Gemeinderat and Landtag from 10 to 16 seats. Afterwards, Hebein called for a renewal of the incumbent SPÖ–Green government, citing the result as a "very clear mandate" for its continuation.[17]

However, the SPÖ opted to form a coalition with NEOS rather than renew the incumbent government. After it became clear that the Greens would return to opposition, Hebein unsuccessfully sought election as Greens parliamentary chair, as well as to each of the Greens' non-executive city council positions. Afterwards, she announced she would not take up her seat in the Gemeinderat and Landtag.[18] Shortly before the swearing-in of the new city government, she announced she planned to resign as state party leader prior to the scheduled end of her term in 2021.[19] Hebein left office as Vice Mayor and city councillor on 24 November.[3]

References
  1. "Hebein elected city councillor". ORF. 26 June 2019.
  2. "Greens: Hebein now also party leader". ORF. 22 June 2019.
  3. "New city government is sworn in". ORF. 24 November 2020.
  4. "Birgit Hebein: From Carinthia to Vienna with left-wing commitment". Der Standard. 4 September 2018.
  5. "Birgin Hebein". Meineabgeordneten.at.
  6. ""Refugees welcome" - this is how help was given at Vienna's Westbahnhof". Vice. 1 September 2015.
  7. ""Hell freezes over before we abandon children"". Heute. 23 November 2017.
  8. "Hebein, Lichtenegger: Ban on alcohol at the Praterstern does not solve any problems". Ots.at. 22 April 2018.
  9. "Vassilakou no longer competes". ORF. 2 September 2018.
  10. "Greens: Birgit Hebein is running". ORF. 4 September 2018.
  11. "Vienna's new leader of the Greens: "Yes, of course I do left-wing politics, what else?"". Die Presse. 27 November 2018.
  12. "The result of the Spitz-election 2018". The Greens Vienna. 26 November 2018.
  13. "Greens: Hebein new at the top". ORF. 26 November 2018.
  14. "Greens leader Hebein: "Of course I do left-wing politics, what else?"". Der Kurier. 27 November 2018.
  15. "Hebein swears a new beginning". ORF. 1 December 2018.
  16. "Greens chose candidates for the Vienna election". ORF. 15 February 2020.
  17. "Ludwig leaves all coalition options open". ORF. 11 October 2020.
  18. "Hebein waives his mandate". ORF. 18 November 2020.
  19. "Hebein: "I also made mistakes"". ORF. 23 November 2020.
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