Election campaign in Leoben: Who will dethrone the SPÖ?

Election campaign in Leoben: Who will dethrone the SPÖ?

An exciting local council election is just around the corner in the Styrian district capital Leoben. On March 23rd it will be decided whether Mayor Kurt Wallner of the SPÖ can defend his majority in the local council or whether the opposition, consisting of a total of six parties, will contest his mandate. With 18,788 eligible voters, Leoben has the largest electorate in the entire state of Styria, including more than 2,000 EU citizens who can also cast their votes. In the last elections in 2020, the SPÖ was able to hold almost 16 seats, but lost one seat, which increases the pressure on Wallner to restore the absolute majority of seats ORF Styria reported.

The challenge for Wallner comes from several directions. Both the ÖVP and the KPÖ are strongly represented with five seats each, while the FPÖ and the Greens each hold two seats. Walter Reiter from the Bürgerliste and his team have also secured a place on the local council. The development in Eisenerz is particularly noteworthy, where the ÖVP has consciously broken up the decades-long dominance of the SPÖ and now has Thomas Rauninger as the mayor there. These strategies and electoral successes could have a significant impact on the results in Leoben. In addition, voter turnout fell by 9.19 percent to just 48.48 percent compared to 2015, which makes political events even more exciting leoben.at reported.

In addition to the established parties, NEOS is also running again after missing out on the local council in 2020. The election campaign in Leoben is a real political derby that is eagerly awaited by citizens - a race for the best ideas and for the city's political future. In Niklasdorf, another municipality, the FPÖ under the leadership of Marco Triller has great ambitions, while in the Kalwang district, an FPÖ stronghold, it wants to appear decisive. The political tactics and voter groups promise an exciting race for power in Leoben.