Styria votes: Surprising election results and party fights

Styria votes: Surprising election results and party fights

Striking results were achieved in the state elections in Styria, redrawing the political picture of the region. Particularly noteworthy are the significant gains in votes for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which made strong gains in many districts and took dominant positions.

The home communities of the top candidates offered interesting insights into the voters' favorites. The FPÖ top candidate Mario Kunasek achieved an impressive 42.65 percent in his home community of Gössendorf, which represents an increase of 12.43 percent compared to the last election. In Graz, however, the FPÖ only received 18.48 percent and ended up in third place.

Changes in the districts

Striking changes can also be seen in the city of Leoben, where the FPÖ left the SPÖ behind and achieved a clear majority in most other municipalities in the district. In Kalwang, the FPÖ increased its share by 28.35 percent to 43.05 percent, while the ÖVP slipped sharply to 26.44 percent. These trends held across multiple counties; Voitsberg, Liezen, Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg in particular recorded significant gains for the Freedom Party.

Another striking result was the development in Rottenmann, Liezen district, where the FPÖ won over the electorate with an incredible 63.23 percent. This number is all the more astonishing since not a single Freedom Party member was previously represented on the local council. The coalition partner ÖVP only received 5.1 percent approval in this district.

A similar picture emerged in Graz, the state capital. Here the FPÖ was represented on the right-wing Murr side, apart from Lend, as the party with the largest number of votes. However, the left side of the Mur remained partly black, with the ÖVP only leading in a few communities, such as Kainbach.

Voter behavior and voting priorities

At the district level, the Free Party won in Deutschlandsberg, where they rose to 40.64 percent, while the ÖVP was only able to secure 21.2 percent of the vote. In Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, however, the situation was more complicated, with only one ÖVP community in Aflenz, whereas the SPÖ was ahead in some regions, such as Kapfenberg. In Turnau in particular, the SPÖ enjoyed a clear victory with 57.13 percent.

In the Southeast Styria region, the surveys remained mixed. While the FPÖ won the majority in Eichkögl with 46.11 percent, the Socialists performed well in Tietschen with 37.09 percent. In Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, the ÖVP was able to maintain the top position in two municipalities, although the SPÖ received the most votes in Neudau.

Overall, the election results shed a fascinating light on the changes in Styria's political climate. How these shifts will play out in the long term remains to be seen. For more information about the individual districts and the overall results, see the detailed report on www.meinkreis.at valuable insights.