VIENNA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Austrian Social Democrats (SPO) on Saturday elected former health minister Pamela Rendi-Wagner as new party leader, according to local media reports.
The SPO executive committee met for nearly two hours in the morning to discuss the replacement for outgoing leader and former chancellor Christian Kern, before voting unanimously on Rendi-Wagner.
The new leader, who is the first woman to head her party in its 130-year-history, told the party committee it was a "great honor" to be given the leadership role.
In addition she said it was important for the party to come together to choose a new leader following recent turbulence within its ranks.
She said she would make further comment once her new role is confirmed by the party on Tuesday.
Kern, for the moment still SPO leader, said afterward that his successor is an "excellent opponent" for the leaders of the two parties to the current coalition government, Sebastian Kurz and Heinz-Christian Strache.
He also denied speculation that Rendi-Wagner only got the nod when other candidates declined the position, noting that she was the first choice among a wider field of candidates.
Kern, who had earlier in the week declared his intention to run as the top candidate for his party at next year's European Parliament elections, did not confirm when he would hand over leadership to his successor, stating that "it is up to her."
