The struggle over strategic direction exists in any country with ambition. It is an unsolvable issue with no right or wrong answer; it's all about appropriateness.
At present, both the Balkan faction and the South German faction have sufficiently compelling arguments.
From a developmental perspective, the land in the Balkan region is more fertile, resources more abundant, which could accelerate the Austrian Empire's economic growth; whereas the Germany Region contains the population that Austria most needs.
Both sides are important, but considering the issue of ethnic integration, Franz still inclines towards prioritizing the South Germany region first.
Once South Germany is annexed, the stability of the Austrian Empire is assured. The government could use immigration to allow various ethnic groups to live together, hastening the pace of ethnic integration.