Austrian Elections & Politics 5.0 (Burgenland state election - January 26)

[Omega21]

New Ö24 poll for Styria:



Conducted the past week.

The FPÖ is embarrassingly high at 21%, hopefully they drop to at least 15% after they were exposed as actual Nazis recently.

What happened?

Busy with upcoming exams so I didn't read as much as usual...

[Omega21]

What happened?

Busy with upcoming exams so I didn't read as much as usual...

Read more here.

Thanks!

They should reroute my GIS Gebühr to you for providing so much info

This is definitely deeply disturbing, and I'm really disappointed in their unwillingness to clean up. Even though it would temporarily cause problems for the party, the only way they can become a serious party again is by taking stuff like this seriously.

If they don't, they will slowly become an Austrian AfD, even if their leader does not say the same foul things like Höcke.

[Omega21]

What happened?

Busy with upcoming exams so I didn't read as much as usual...

Read more here.

Thanks!

They should reroute my GIS Gebühr to you for providing so much info

This is definitely deeply disturbing, and I'm really disappointed in their unwillingness to clean up. Even though it would temporarily cause problems for the party, the only way they can become a serious party again is by taking stuff like this seriously.

If they don't, they will slowly become an Austrian AfD, even if their leader does not say the same foul things like Höcke.

The FPÖ slowly becoming like the German AfD ?

LOL.

The FPÖ has already been like the German AfD, long before the German AfD even existed ...

The party has just been more effective during the past few years to hide their Nazi nature, but eventually they cannot hide what they really are.

I mean, I really doubt Hofer is a Nazi...

[Omega21]

Busy with upcoming exams so I didn't read as much as usual...

BTW: good luck on those. Where and what are you studying ?

Thanks man!

I am at Uni Wien, studying Economics.

Yeah, I'm really disappointed as well in Hofer's actions. I get he doesn't want any more internal disruptions, but people who are tied to such things should not be allowed a seat in any major party.

I'm also on board with the upcoming coalition now, the FPÖ needs to take things more seriously if they wish to govern again.

As long as everyone sticks to what they are good at, we will hopefully have a good Government. 

[Omega21]

The Styria state election on Sunday will be the first big test of the ÖVP-Green government, even though it is not even in charge yet.

But still:

With the prospect of the Greens in government, how will Kurzˋs loan voters from the FPÖ react now that he’s gone full green ?

Ca. 10% of the ÖVPs current 38% are quite „blue“ and only voted for Kurz because they were promised a continued hard line policy on immigration ...

"Kurz goes full green" sounds like a bad 18+ movie, especially considering his Last Name lol

[Omega21]

They have lost 15% or more to the FPÖ or AfD for good. That train has long left the station, their supporters are so die-hard and anti-Social(ist) and conspiracy theorist that nobody can win them back.

Indeed, it's a more or less pointless endeavor. Many of these people resemble members of a cult and once they have been infected by the dangerous virus that is right-wing populism, they buy into every conspiracy theory. Chemtails, Eurabia, George Soros, Great Replacement...

They will never voter for any Altpartei again. So the best thing is that they don't vote at all. This is also the lesson of the recent state elections in Eastern Germany.

What the hell are you talking about?

People being concerned about 1000+ sexual assaults across Germany on a single night is not a conspiracy theory. These are undeniable, Police supplied facts.

Granted, Germany has NO normal right-wing party, so these people get painted as neo-Nazis if they vote AfD, because it's basically the only party against illegal immigration.

If you had a normal party standing up to illegal immigration, without the edgy Holocaust talk/xenophobia/cult of personality Björn does, a lot of people vote for that party instead.

As someone who describes himself as Right-Wing, I have no issue saying the AfD is a steaming pile of hot crap, which is only breeding more and more Björn type of people. The only way to keep them from growing is to form a real, normal right-wing Party, like the current ÖVP under Kurz.

[Omega21]

Hilarious:

https://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/politik/oesterreich/2040226-Wiener-FPOe-fuerchtet-sich-vor-moeglicher-Strache-Finte.html?em_no_split=1

The FPÖ wants to get rid of Strache now for good, removing his „suspended“ party membership and expel him.

But that’s not so easy ...

While Hofer, Kickl and 6 of the 9 state FPÖ-leaders are calling for Strache’s total removal from the party, it is ultimately the state party of a member that is responsible for revoking the party membership. In Strache’s case Vienna.

And they are pretty split.

Today a little-known fact went public: Strache was frontrunner in the 2015 Vienna state election when the FPÖ scored a record result of 31%. He was also frontrunner in Vienna-South, but didn’t take his seat in the Vienna city parliament of course (even though he was elected), but remained Austrian FPÖ leader instead.

Which now means that if a single pro-Strache MP of the Vienna city parliament would resign, Strache would become a city MP.

And not only that: as a city MP, he could form a new group there with rogue Strache backers, get public funding and run for the Vienna election next year.

Maybe that’s why the Vienna FPÖ doesn’t really want to kick him out for good - even though there is pressure from Hofer, Kickl & Co. ...

But can't he just convince one rouge MP to resign and become a city MP anyway, and leave the party himself?

[Omega21]

Still very little is known about the ongoing ÖVP-Green coalition talks, except that the 33 sub-groups and 150 people involved met several times during the past 2 weeks.

The results of those meetings will be discussed by the oversight group of 6 ÖVP- and 6 Green members this weekend and a press conference with Kurz and Kogler will happen on Monday.

The news reports say that while the climate in the talks is great, the two parties are still "miles apart" on several important topics ...

https://www.vienna.at/tuerkis-gruene-verhandlungen-chefverhandler-sichten-am-wochenende-inhaltliche-ergebnisse/6441669

I imagine open borders for everyone, more money and citizenship for Asylum Seekers is one of the issues...

[Omega21]

Strache’s political comeback and his own party could be imminent:

https://www.vienna.at/fpoe-mandat-von-karl-baron-koennte-an-hc-strache-gehen/6455010

Karl Baron, a Strache-loyalist and member of the Vienna city parliament, could step down tomorrow (a press statement is scheduled) and Strache would replace him, based on the 2015 state election list.

If Strache returns to the Vienna city parliament and 2 other FPÖ MPs join him, he could create his own group with public funding ...

Today, Karl Baron - together with 2 other FPÖ MP's in Vienna - quit the party and announced the creation of their own parliamentary group, the Alliance for Austria (DAÖ).


Source: APA/Fohringer

The FPÖ leadership (Hofer, Kickl, Vilimsky and Nepp in Vienna) called the party "destined to fail" and that "Strache was behind it".

NEOS attacked it as a "Strache fanboy club, costing the taxpayers and additional 1 million € in party funding each year".

If Baron retires from the Vienna parliament next year, Strache could follow him and lead the party into the Vienna elections.

https://orf.at/stories/3147410

Finally, something actually happening!

Bad development in General, but a welcomed refreshment to the thread indeed.

[Omega21]

Austrian police foil a plan by 2 men to commit a terrorist attack on Christmas. Both of the suspects are Chechens.

https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/wien/Duo-plante-Terror-zu-Weihnachten/409515421

[Omega21]

The Social System put in place by the old Govt is now dead according to Constitutional court ruling.

https://www.krone.at/2063888

[Omega21]

The Social System put in place by the old Govt is now dead according to Constitutional court ruling.

https://www.krone.at/2063888

You are confusing several rulings of the Constitutional Court in their latest session.

They ruled on a couple important topics/reforms passed by ÖVP/FPÖ, such as the Health Care System merger (they upheld it), their IT-based "spy law" (= Bundestrojaner, license plate tracking => they struck it down) and what Omega21 is referring to the reform of the welfare money system (they struck it down in several areas, but not the whole thing).

The VfGH (Constitutional Court) ruled today that the part concerning the welfare amounts paid per child of parents getting welfare money are unconstitutional, because they are regressive: this means that ÖVP-FPÖ was targeting children-rich families, with every additional child being "worth less" and parents getting less and less welfare money the more kids they have. They also struck down the part that tied welfare money to German skills, which means that non-EU/EFTA foreigners can now get the same full amount that Austrian/EU-citizens can claim, without passing German levels. While I support the 1st decision of the Court, the 2nd is kinda bad. Welfare should definitely be tied to German-levels and integration measures.

No worries, the new Green Govt will surely re-implement something similar to the integration-based welfare!

*if only that were true

[Omega21]

The Greens badly want to introduce a Carbon Tax, which would increase fuel prices for drivers and heating oil by 25-50%.

https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Tuerkis-Gruen-Wird-der-Sprit-um-47-Cent-teurer/409773328

The ÖVP is largely opposed, fearing a major backlash from farmers and the economy (truck and logistics industry).

Drivers would have to pay ca. 4 billion € more per year, but the Greens want to compensate it with a tax refund.

This will be interesting ... (I wouldn’t really mind the reform).

This would lead to France style protests and backlash if the working class gets f'd by the rich urban Green politicians, who'll drive around in nice Audi A8's once they are in office.