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Styria election: FPÖ on the rise, SPÖ and ÖVP with losses
The elections in Styria show a worrying trend against the current leaders: FPÖ is gaining significantly, while ÖVP and SPÖ are losing support.
Styria election: FPÖ on the rise, SPÖ and ÖVP with losses
The political elections in Styria caused some surprises and were also followed closely in Carinthia. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) was able to almost double its share of the vote, while the ÖVP and the SPÖ lost their joint majority in the state parliament. This led to the Greens losing a lot of seats and are now only perceived as a mini-party. The KPÖ and the Neos, on the other hand, narrowly made it into the state parliament.
Erwin Angerer, the chairman of the FPÖ, was extremely positive about the election results. He described Mario Kunasek as the governor that Styria needs and indicated that the result was a clear message to the previous ÖVP boss and current Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Angerer criticized Nehammer and his clinging to power despite his poor performance in the National Council elections. What is particularly noteworthy is the fact that Kunasek is considered the first blue state governor since Jörg Haider.
Worrying trends
Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser, who is also chairman of the SPÖ, commented on the election results with the words: "The trend against those in government is worryingly continuing." This statement probably also reflects the disappointment with the SPÖ's own performance. In the 2023 state election, the SPÖ received 38.94 percent of the vote, but suffered a decline of nine percentage points compared to the previous election in 2018.
The Greens' situation is also precarious; Your country's head, Olga Voglauer, is disappointed about the halving of mandates. She points out that the forecasts have come true and cites factors such as the announced duel for first place and a targeted propaganda campaign against climate and nature protection as the associated causes for the poor result. Voglauer is concerned that the Greens' poor performance could have an impact on important issues her party is fighting for.
The developments in Styria can have far-reaching consequences for the political landscape in Carinthia and beyond. The election result highlights the uncertainties among the electorate and raises questions about how the established parties will react to the loss of support. The political debate is sure to intensify as parties try to learn lessons from the results.
For a more detailed overview of the current political trends and developments in Styria and Carinthia, see the reporting on www.kleinezeitung.at.