Graz NEOS Leader Philipp Pointner Resigns

Philipp Pointner has resigned as head of the Graz NEOS party, opting to return to his music career instead of taking his council seat.

Philipp Pointner, the head of the Graz NEOS party and a professional conductor, announced his resignation on July 2, 2021. Confirming the move to the Steirerkrone, Pointner stated he will return to music and decline his seat in the Graz municipal council, where he previously served. This departure follows the expulsion of Veit Dengler from the party two weeks earlier. In the recent Graz municipal election, NEOS secured 4.9 percent of the vote, a 0.5 percentage point decrease. Styrian NEOS officials reported having no contact with Pointner for weeks, noting his absence from all post-election meetings. His vacant council seat will be filled by Alexis Pascuttini, a former member of the FPÖ and KFG.