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Vienna election 2025: SPÖ under pressure – does the strategy have to be rewritten now?
The SPÖ and NEOS face challenges in the Vienna elections in 2025. Crises and surveys shape the political landscape.
Vienna election 2025: SPÖ under pressure – does the strategy have to be rewritten now?
The Vienna city government has brought forward the 2025 Vienna elections to April 27th in order to enable a stable government as quickly as possible. Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) emphasized in an online statement that a months-long election campaign was not in the interests of the people of Vienna. After four years of joint government work, the remaining open projects are to be implemented in the usual cooperation until the election. Ludwig explained: “We need stable conditions in Vienna and not a months-long election campaign,” as can also be seen in an archive report in the town hall correspondence from January 17, 2025.
However, the SPÖ faces challenges during the election campaign. Analyst Filzmaier noted in an interview with “Vienna Today” that the party is below 40 percent in the polls, which significantly reduces its previous level of 42 percent from the 2020 elections. This is partly attributed to various crises, such as inflation due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and rising energy prices. Ludwig has announced that he will deploy more security forces on public transport to address citizens' safety concerns. The SPÖ must adapt its election campaign strategy and take seriously what it sees as the overly critical portrayal of security by the FPÖ and ÖVP.
A new strategy for the SPÖ
The SPÖ faces the challenge of changing its strategy since it is now part of the federal government. This requires a balancing act between dealing with security fears and the stance of the opposition parties. In addition, the early departure of Christoph Wiederkehr as NEOS's top candidate is viewed as detrimental to its chances of success. NEOS is now relying on a new dual leadership with Bettina Emmerling and Selma Arapovic, who are less well-known and therefore reduce the chances of a strong election outcome.
So the situation is tense: While the city government has to try to offer stability in uncertain times, the SPÖ is threatened with falling numbers in polls and the need to reposition itself. The upcoming election will be a landmark event for future politics in Vienna, at a time when many uncertainties prevail, as is also made clear in the ORF reports and the town hall correspondence.