[ad_1]
The result of the election, both was certain on Monday before the count of the many voting cards, the head of the SP, Michael Ludwig, gave all the triumphs when choosing a partner. If the majority has their way, the mayor only has to sit at the negotiating table with Deputy Mayor Birgit Hebein to agree on a red-green reissue in Vienna.
Coalitions: In a Sora poll, 36 percent of 2,074 respondents preferred this variant of coalition. Far behind followed the red-turquoise (13 percent) and a collaboration with the Neos (nine percent). Ludwig also showed no preference on Monday. It is expected that starting next week, starting with the second largest ÖVP, he will hold exploratory talks with everyone and then decide on coalition negotiations.
However, there are clear trends: between the Viennese SPÖ and the ÖVP around Gernot Blümel there are hardly any strategic overlaps that speak of cooperation. And with the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Walter Ruck (VP), Ludwig already has a reliable contact person for rebuilding after Corona.
The Greens remain the favorites, for whom, in addition to the solid majority, the mood and experience in cooperation speak for themselves. A serious alternative for Ludwig is the Neos, even if they are entitled to a seat on the town hall after the vote card count.
Voter streams: The big electoral providers were the Freedom Party on Sunday. The blues around Dominik Nepp could only win back one in five of its voters since 2015 (see chart). Most (101,000) stayed home this time. The main beneficiaries between the parties were Gernot Blümel’s Turquoise, who “inherited” 43,000 blue votes, followed by the SPÖ with 32,000. At least 17,000 FP voters turned up for Heinz-Christian Strache’s list. Even Neos (4,000) and the Greens (1,000) could expect alternate blue voters.
Districts recolored: In 2015, the SPÖ lost a district leader to the FPÖ for the first time in post-war history in the district council elections, that is, the actual local elections. Paul Stadler assumed command in the former working-class district of Simmering (11th) of all places. The notch was removed from SP’s point of view. That was already clear before the mail ballot counting. In Leopoldstadt (2nd), green coach Uschi Lichtenegger has to vacate the chair for a red one. In return, the eco-party with Josefstadt (8th) has a good chance of reclaiming the ÖVP’s city center district (thanks to voting cards). The expected balance of power in the 23 districts: 17 SP district leaders and three green and three turquoise.
Strache Straw: In the city council election, Strache missed his list at the five percent hurdle. However, Strache’s team will be represented in 16 of the 23 district offices with one to three terms (based on Sora 29’s forecast). Strache could continue his political career as a district councilor in his native Landstrasse (3rd) district. The former vice chancellor (19,262 euros) would have to cut his salary significantly. A Viennese district council receives 463.90 euros per month, but if the club is strong it would be 1,420 euros for the president.
Awaiting the result of the elections: the bodies meet later
Keep waiting, they say in Vienna. Due to the crown pandemic, so many voting postcards were requested in the Vienna municipal and district elections than ever before. 300,000 postal votes were counted at 9 a.m. on Monday.
The city council said yesterday that the results of the municipal council elections could probably be available this afternoon, if not in the evening. District results are expected Wednesday; here the number of postal voters is higher as more voting cards have to be counted due to municipal voting rights for EU citizens living in Vienna.
Polling station turnout was 36.86 percent on Sunday. With the voting card count, it should increase from 63 to 65 percent. That is around ten percentage points less than in 2015, when mobilization was significantly higher due to the refugee crisis.
The results extrapolated by the Sora Institute, including the voting cards from Sunday night, see the SPÖ at 42.2 percent, the ÖVP at 18.8 percent, the Greens at 14.0 percent. The race for fourth place could be exciting: Sora sees the FPÖ at 7.7 percent, the Neos at 7.8. According to the extrapolation, the Heinz-Christian Strache party with 3.6 percent has little chance of overcoming the five percent hurdle with the voting cards.
The Neos want to advise on committees today. Strache’s team is planning a still-uncertain meeting for the evening. SPÖ and ÖVP want to wait for the final result and will not convene the commissions until the end of the week.
Article of
Lucian Mayringer
Startup Policy Editor
