Vienna votes: Who will be Michael Ludwig's partner after the election?

Vienna votes: Who will be Michael Ludwig's partner after the election?

In one week, on April 27, 2025, there will be elections in Vienna. Mayor Michael Ludwig of the SPÖ has not made a clear statement in recent weeks as to which party he is seeking a future coalition with. However, he categorically rules out any collaboration with the FPÖ. Small newspaper reports that NEOS, the ÖVP and the Greens want to act as junior partners in the next city government.

The election campaign was rather quiet and unobtrusive. The hot phase largely fell during the Easter holidays, which could have a negative impact on the mobilization of SPÖ supporters, which is just under 40 percent in the polls. The FPÖ follows with around 22 percent. The competition for third place remains exciting, where the Greens, NEOS and ÖVP are fighting for voters' favor. In the final rallies on Thursday and Friday, the parties will present their issues, but there were no attacking voices against the SPÖ, which has ruled since 1945, with the exception of the FPÖ.

Final rallies and voter numbers

The FPÖ's final rally will take place on Thursday at Stephansplatz, where party leader Herbert Kickl is expected. The ÖVP is not planning a big event, but is organizing a distribution campaign at the Rochusmarkt. The Greens and NEOS have scheduled their appearances for Friday at 4 p.m. The SPÖ will hold its final event at the Viktor-Adler-Markt in Favoriten, with speeches by Michael Ludwig and Kathrin Gaal.

A total of 1,109,936 people are eligible to vote. Interestingly, over 35 percent of Viennese are not eligible to vote. An additional 1,374,712 people are entitled to vote in the district council election, as EU citizens also have the opportunity to cast their vote. Oesterreich.gv.at informed that those Austrian citizens who have reached the minimum age of 16 are eligible to vote, while non-Austrian EU citizens are only allowed to take part in district council elections.

Coalition possibilities and uncertainties

As the The standard reports, the FPÖ theoretically won the election, but needs a coalition with the ÖVP to form a government. NEOS and the Greens do not support cooperation with the FPÖ, which continues to make forming a government uncertain for the Freedom Party. The SPÖ also rejects cooperation with the FPÖ, which makes the political landscape in Vienna more than complicated.