In a world of trained lawyers, economists and political scientists, Andreas Baler’s background stands out. Before he went into politics, he was a shift worker. „I got up at five in the morning and worked on the filling machine in a mineral water factory“, he says. Last year, he was surprisingly elected leader of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ). The media describe him as an „underdog“, but many see him as the hope of the Austrian left.