Election campaign in Burgenland: SPÖ focuses on issues instead of party references

Election campaign in Burgenland: SPÖ focuses on issues instead of party references

In the upcoming state elections in Burgenland on January 19th, the SPÖ will run under the banner “List Doskozil”. This was announced during a press conference, whereby the leading candidate Hans Peter Doskozil was unable to attend due to health problems. The election campaign is carried out without an external agency, which makes the SPÖ proud, as state manager Jasmin Puchwein explained. Instead, a focus was placed on four central topics: safety, care, health and affordable energy. The posters use slogans such as “Land of Health” based on the region.

The party is not specifically mentioned in the promotional materials. According to Kevin Friedl, another person responsible, the full name “List Doskozil – SPÖ Burgenland” will appear on the ballot paper. This strategy is based on the recipe for success of putting a strong top candidate in the foreground, says Friedl. The campaign costs are limited to a maximum of 300,000 euros, and the plan is not to confront the population with excessive posters. The first 70 posters have already been put up in the region, and a second wave is expected after the official campaign start on January 6th.

Changes at the FPÖ

In parallel to the SPÖ, the FPÖ has also updated its list of candidates for the election. Top candidate Norbert Hofer presented the list after previous changes were necessary as the current state party leader Alexander Petschnig is now in last place on the list. Hofer, who did not name any specific election goals at the press conference, praised the mood and support at his events so far. The most common complaint he heard during these appearances was that waiting times for medical treatment were too long, which in his opinion indicates a shortage of skilled workers.

The FPÖ, which had already presented its state list in May, had to revise it again after Hofer's appointment. Petschnig, who is counting on optimistic data, expects the SPÖ to receive the most votes. Nevertheless, he is also confident about the role the FPÖ will play. No decision has yet been made about possible government coalitions, although Hofer sees cooperation between the SPÖ and ÖVP as “unlikely”.

Specific top candidates are running for the FPÖ in several districts, including Mario Jaksch in the Neusiedl am See district and Christian Ries in Eisenstadt. It is also worth noting that the list is unbalanced in terms of gender, with only one woman among the top five candidates.

The political landscape in Burgenland is characterized by exciting developments and strategic decisions by the two parties. While the SPÖ focuses on issues that are directly relevant to the electorate, the FPÖ will try to enter the race with new faces and an adjusted strategy. The coming weeks promise interesting campaign dynamics, starting with the official kick-off in January.

For detailed information about the background and current developments in this dynamically developing election campaign, see the current reporting on kurier.at.