Though Austria's Social Democrats were set to choose Werner Faymann as their candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming general elections, he still has to prove he can emerge from the second row to become a leading man.

The popular, but not yet widely known transport minister took over the party leadership from Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, who declared in June he would not run for re-election in the polls on September 28.

The 48-year-old minister from Vienna, whose selection by the Social Democrats was expected later Friday, rose through the party ranks as an engaging, smooth politician who has so far operated in the shadows of more powerful social democrats.

Faymann, who was born in 1960, broke off his law studies at Vienna University to become a professional politician, first as leader of his party's youth organization from 1981, and then as a member of the Vienna city assembly from 1985.

In his later position as Vienna's councillor for housing construction, Faymann was able to build a positive image, while staying out of contentious local politics. After 13 years as councillor, he became transport minister in 2007.

These positions enabled him to choose positive political issues such as housing or infrastructure, while avoiding to be associated with more difficult topics, said Peter Filzmaier, professor for political communication at the Danube University Krems.

"As chancellor or vice chancellor, he will not be able to choose his topics," Filzmaier warned.

The Social Democrats emerged as the strongest party from the 2006 elections, but current polls indicate they could lose the top spot to the conservative People's Party, their current coalition partner in government.

In the election campaign this summer, Faymann has honed his image as an engaging fellow. "There has been enough fighting," is his slogan, a reference to the constant quarrelling between social democrats and conservatives that eventually led to early elections.

In the cabinet, Faymann was known as the minister who could reunite the coalition partners after their frequent fallouts. "You can't fight with him," conservative Science Minister Johannes Hahn said about the transport minister.

But this strategy of non-confrontation also has its risks, as it might not be sufficient to win over estranged Social Democrats or swing voters.

"There is the danger that he remains simply sympathetic and engaging," Filzmaier said.

Faymann's strong card is his friendship with Hans Dichand, Austria's most powerful media boss. Dichand publishes Austria's biggest daily Die Krone, a newspaper widely read among swing voters between social democrats and the right-wing Freedom party.

But some Social Democrats are uncomfortable with the ease with which Faymann navigates difficult issues.

"An eel feels rougher, compared to this type of politician," Wolfgang Radlegger, a former Social Democratic leader in Salzburg, said about the party's prospective new standard-bearer.