Lack of candidates in Styria: politicians desperately wanted!

Lack of candidates in Styria: politicians desperately wanted!

The political elections in Styria are just around the corner! On February 14th, all parties have to submit their election proposals to the municipalities by 1:00 p.m. Depending on the size of the municipality, up to 20 declarations of support are required. But the search for suitable candidates is increasingly difficult, as political scientist Katrin Protnik from the University of Graz states. At the municipal level, the challenges in the recruitment process can be felt above all because fewer and fewer people are willing to be positioned. This creates a tense political mood, which according to Pratrotnik also benefits the rise of citizens' lists, which have potential due to the dissatisfaction with established parties, as orf Styria reports.

The Styrian state parliament: power and responsibility

The state parliament of Styria, which has consisted of 48 MPs since 2015, plays a central role in the legislation of the federal state and its control. Unlike in many other federal states, there is no 5 percent hurdle for parties in Styria to move into the state parliament. Instead, a basic mandate in one of the four constituencies (Graz and Graz environment, Eastern Styria, West Styria, Upper Styria). This enables a variety of political groups to be heard and to work on decisions. Control over the Styrian state government and the budget sovereignty are other significant tasks of the state parliament. These structures enable transparent and democratic representation of the citizens of Styria, such as News.at .