Election campaign attacks: Parties remain below the cost limit!

Election campaign attacks: Parties remain below the cost limit!

In the preparatory phase for the Vienna City Council election on April 27, 2025, the political parties published their campaign costs. The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) states that it spent almost 4.9 million euros. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) follows over 4.7 million euros, while the ÖVP announced its expenses with 3.7 million euros and the Greens with 3.5 million euros. The NEOs have invested 2.8 million euros and the KPÖ only 600,000 euros.

The new regulations provide for a cost limit of 5 million euros per party, which was previously 6 million euros. This reform was initiated by the SPÖ and the NEOS and also includes the introduction of mandatory election advertising reports. The first report is due a week before the election day, i.e. today. This must include both the so far and the estimated future electoral advertising expenses and presented to the city sheet collector's yard. If there is non -compliance, a fine of up to 50,000 euros threatens.

transparency in campaign editions

A striking aspect is that there is no election advertising report on the website of the HC Strache website. This raises questions about compliance with the new transparency requirements. Compliance with these regulations is essential, since all parties have to prove that they do not exceed the defined upper limit for campaign editions, such as party sponsor.at explained.

Compared to the nationwide upper limit for elections, which is 7 million euros per election and party, the regulation at the state level is stricter. Only Salzburg and Carinthia have effective cost limits that are significantly below the nationwide upper limit. In Vienna, where the municipal council elections are not only geared towards the city, but also on the districts, the comparability of the campaign editions is difficult, as the analysis of partySpenden.at illustrates.

overview of the parties