Marterbauer: Savings package ensures recovery and tough times!

Marterbauer: Savings package ensures recovery and tough times!

The current political polls in Austria show a remarkable rise of SPÖ Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer. According to the political barometer from oe24 he gained a whopping 13 percentage points and is now one of the most popular politicians in the country. Marterbauer announced the toughest austerity package of all time, which he backed up with a forecast of “two tough years” for the population.

The survey, conducted by the Lazarsfeld Society for oe24, includes 1,000 respondents who were able to express their opinions between April 7th and 8th, 2025. In this context, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen also received 31% positive ratings, but he also received 31% negative ratings, which leads to a balanced balance of 0.

Ranking of politicians

Marterbauer currently has a positive rating of 23%, which is an increase of 10% compared to the previous month. This means that on balance he is now 1% up, while Economics Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer has a balanced balance of 0 with 19% positive and 19% negative ratings. Most other federal politicians do less well. For example, SPÖ Women's Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner and Neos Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr each have -3% off the best. In contrast to this are the ratings of Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (-5%) and Social Affairs Minister Korinna Schumann (-7%).

Chancellor Christian Stocker of the ÖVP has 27% positive and 34% negative ratings, resulting in a balance of -7%. The situation is similar for Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who has the same values. The Vice Chancellor and SPÖ leader Andreas Babler only received 18% positive and 41% negative ratings, making him the worst-rated politician in the survey - with a balance of -23%. Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ leader, has 27% positive and 44% negative ratings, giving him a balance of -17%, while Werner Kogler, the outgoing Green Party leader, scores -21%.

The context and voter sentiments

The political context is characterized by increasing dissatisfaction with government work in recent years, as stated in a report by contrast is determined. This unease is leading to a strengthening of opposition parties and a growing interest among voters in alternative policies. The next National Council election is planned for 2029, and the population's wishes and expectations of politics are already being collected and analyzed.

In another survey on demands on the new government, voters expressed, among other things, the desire for taxes on the super-rich (12%) and more investment in health (9%) and education (7%). These results highlight the pressure on politicians to implement reforms to meet citizens' needs. A total of 42,876 votes were cast, with the voter numbers revealing revealing trends in the political landscape.