ÖVP-Krach in Vienna: Mahrer steps back after a historical election defeat!

ÖVP-Krach in Vienna: Mahrer steps back after a historical election defeat!

Wien, Österreich - On April 29, 2025, the preliminary results of the Vienna City Council election were published, with the ÖVP suffering a historical loss of votes. According to kosmo , the party under the leadership of Karl Mahrer only reached 9.65 percent of the vote, which means 11 percentage points compared to the last election. This dramatic loss catapulted the ÖVP to fifth place.

Karl Mahrer, himself 70 years old and thus the oldest top candidate, resigned after this electional slump. His election campaign was based on a law-and-order rhetoric, which has increasingly lost in political importance. In the meantime, his “Habibi” campaign was perceived as clichéd, which met with violent criticism, especially in migrant communities. The ÖVP failed to actively search for dialogue with these voters, especially in the migrant districts such as favorites, Simmering and Ottakring.

election results in detail

The final values from the election also show that the SPÖ under Mayor Dr. Michael Ludwig remains the strongest party with 39.38 percent. Following an overview of the preliminary figures:

The turnout was 62.74 percent, a decline of 65.27 percent compared to the 2020 election. The official official final result will be available on May 8, 2025 and can be under wien.gv.at/wahlen are traced.

political communication in focus

The latest developments also lead a light on political communication in Vienna. Loud Academia Communication is of crucial importance during the election campaigns. It becomes clear that the ÖVP has failed in visibility and a connecting dialogue with the voters. Another aspect is the long-term challenge to promote concentrated research on political communication in elections in Austria, while larger EU member states are more in focus.

In view of the ongoing debates about election behavior and political communication, the ÖVP seems to be at a critical point in its development. Mahrer's resignation and the continued misconduct in the dialogue design could become a turning point in the history of the party.