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In three municipalities in Lower Austria, the municipal council elections had to be repeated on Sunday. The result was remarkable in two municipalities, in Schwarzau am Steinfeld and in Hochwolkersdorf: in both localities, the ÖVP ended the decades of SPÖ supremacy.
In Schwarzau am Steinfeld, in the Neunkirchen district, the shameful collapse of an SPÖ deputy after the January elections finally cost the ruling Social Democrats first place.
Neo-mayor Evelyn Artner (ÖVP) managed to turn the municipality from red to black in eight months. With 61.6 percent of the vote, Artner achieved a maximum of 21.1 percent on Sunday compared to the January elections, the all-time high of twelve terms (+4).
The SPÖ, which in January was still number one with ten seats and 54.4 percent, lost three seats (-18.7 percent) and now has seven. The FPÖ lost its only mandate and is no longer represented on the municipal council.
The new election had become necessary after a term of the SPÖ had not chosen its own candidate Günter Wolf in the mayoral elections. Therefore, the vote was completely surprising with 10: 9 votes for ÖVP’s wife Evelyn Artner. The SPÖ then resigned as a whole, which resulted in a new vote. Artner will now remain mayor of Schwarzau. The new SPÖ lead candidate, Klaus Hofer, couldn’t change that.
ÖVP in Hochwolkersdorf number one
Also in Hochwolkersdorf, in the Wiener Neustadt district, the ÖVP list “Together Hochwolkersdorf – Party of the People and Independents” overthrew the SPÖ under Mayor Sylvia Blank from her throne. The best man in the ÖVP, Martin Puchegger, achieved eleven terms when he took office as the top candidate, the SPÖ has eight. This means that Puchegger can no longer take office as mayor.
The January elections threw Hochwolkersdorf into a political dilemma. After the SPÖ achieved nine, the ÖVP six and Citizen Karner numbered four terms, Karner moved on to the SPÖ to become mayor. There was a scandal and Karner resigned from all duties. Since then, SPÖ leader Sylvia Blank has run the business as mayor. On Sunday they were rejected by the citizens.
