Austrian Elections & Politics 4.0

[Tender Branson]

In other news, almost 8/10 Austrians back the latest ÖVP-FPÖ government law - the headscarf ban for children in kindergartens and primary schools.

According to the poll for the "Profil" magazine, 79% back the headscarf ban while 16% oppose it.

Support for the ban is actually up since the April poll, when just 68% backed it.

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-mehrheit-kopftuchverbot-10484615

[Tender Branson]

Pamela Rendi-Wagner was just elected new Social Democratic party leader with 97.2% of the delegates.



First female boss of the SPÖ in more than 100 years of party history.

[Omega21]

She repeatedly called Chancellor Sebastian Kurz with the informal "Du", instead of the formal "Sie".

At one point she shouted to the delegates: "Sebastian, you have been 7 years in the Austrian government, but what did you actually do ?"

Didn't he actually do much more than the previous governments?

Wonder what she meant by that...

[Tender Branson]

She repeatedly called Chancellor Sebastian Kurz with the informal "Du", instead of the formal "Sie".

At one point she shouted to the delegates: "Sebastian, you have been 7 years in the Austrian government, but what did you actually do ?"

Didn't he actually do much more than the previous governments?

Wonder what she meant by that...

It always depends on the point of view:

Kurz always says that he himself was responsible for closing the Balkans route to migrants and stopped the flow to central/northern Europe after 2015 (while Strache, FPÖ, even claim that all of this could have prevented if the mainstream parties listened and acted along what he/FPÖ said for decades).

Rendi-Wagner (in her attack about Kurz she focused on his time as integration secretary), the SPÖ and the other opposition parties argue that Kurz and Strache only talked and never did anything personally to solve the migrant flows to Europe and credit Angela Merkel for closing it.

[Omega21]

She repeatedly called Chancellor Sebastian Kurz with the informal "Du", instead of the formal "Sie".

At one point she shouted to the delegates: "Sebastian, you have been 7 years in the Austrian government, but what did you actually do ?"

Didn't he actually do much more than the previous governments?

Wonder what she meant by that...

It always depends on the point of view:

Kurz always says that he himself was responsible for closing the Balkans route to migrants and stopped the flow to central/northern Europe after 2015 (while Strache, FPÖ, even claim that all of this could have prevented if the mainstream parties listened and acted along what he/FPÖ said for decades).

Rendi-Wagner (in her attack about Kurz she focused on his time as integration secretary), the SPÖ and the other opposition parties argue that Kurz and Strache only talked and never did anything personally to solve the migrant flows to Europe and credit Angela Merkel for closing it.

Yeah, she's speaking to deaf ears...

We all remember the good ol' Faymann who stood with Angela in support of her 3rd World Migration experiment.

As soon as the new government came into power we saw reforms on health insurance, new laws (like the one you mentioned above) and there would be even more (like the welfare cuts) if the EU didn't keep hindering it.

The SPÖ is a toothless party, and they were voted out for a reason.

That's my point of view since I value immigration policies more than other things, mainly because other things change constantly (like the Economy), but Immigration is not reversible once it hits a certain point.

[Tender Branson]

The results of the Vienna Green Party leadership election will be announced this evening.

Maria Vassilakou is retiring after some 15 years as GP leader there and 5 candidates are running to succeed her:



The new party leader will also take over her role as Vice-Mayor of Vienna, because there's an SPÖ-Green coalition in the Austrian capital.

Some 3.500 Green Party members, officials and people who paid a certain fee and registered were able to vote by postal ballot until 5pm today.

The votes are now counted and the new party leader is determined by IRV.

[PSOL]

The results of the Vienna Green Party leadership election will be announced this evening.

Maria Vassilakou is retiring after some 15 years as GP leader there and 5 candidates are running to succeed her:



The new party leader will also take over her role as Vice-Mayor of Vienna, because there's an SPÖ-Green coalition in the Austrian capital.

Some 3.500 Green Party members, officials and people who paid a certain fee and registered were able to vote by postal ballot until 5pm today.

The votes are now counted and the new party leader is determined by IRV.

Can you give a rundown of the candidates?

[Tender Branson]

Can you give a rundown of the candidates?

See here:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=275728.msg6395984#msg6395984

Only 3 of the 5 have relevant chances, because they are known city-wide and they are city-wide political officials from the Greens (Kraus, Ellensohn, Hebein).

Marihan Abensperg-Traun is a child doctor with immigrant background and Benjamin Kaan is a district-level Green official. Both of them have only low outside chances to win.

[Tender Branson]

ÖVP-FPÖ will present their new welfare reform law on Wednesday, unifying the current system in which all 9 states have a different model right now.

It will likely see cuts for foreigners/migrants/refugees, who do not speak good enough German or who do not sign an "integration compact".

Recently, the Austrian Constitutional Court struck down the Lower Austrian welfare model which saw deep cuts for foreigners and the European Court of Justice struck down the Upper Austrian welfare model, which also saw deep cuts for foreigners.

Initially, ÖVP-FPÖ worked out their new unified model along the reform plans of Lower and Upper Austria, but since they have been struck down by the courts it is unclear what their new model will look like.

ÖVP-FPÖ have consulted several constitutional experts in the past few weeks to work out the new model, so that it stands before the Austrian Courts and the EU courts, but it remains to be seen what they will present.

Nonetheless, ÖVP-FPÖ have recently put out new numbers for 2017 and the welfare scheme (= Mindestsicherung): the number of recipients has risen from around 200.000 per year in 2010 to about 310.000 last year, with more than 50% of recipients not having Austrian citizenship and close to 60% having a migrant background. In Vienna, the numbers show that 70% of welfare recipients last year had migration background. Therefore ÖVP-FPÖ argue that cuts among these groups are now more than necessary, as costs also have exploded in the past 7 or so years.

https://derstandard.at/2000092313744/Beschluss-zur-Reform-der-Mindestsicherung-fuer-Mittwoch-erwartet

[Tender Branson]

The results of the Vienna Green Party leadership election will be announced this evening.

And the winner is:



The social worker will be presented as the new party leader today at a press conference, together with the full results of the election.

Her win is a bit surprising, because it was thought that there'd be a close race between the 2 men, Kraus and Ellensohn - with Kraus being endorsed by the outgoing party leader Maria Vassilakou.

[Tender Branson]

ÖVP-FPÖ has presented their welfare system reform today:

With their new updated provisions on foreigners, they think that it will remain law even when challenged in Austrian courts or EU courts (see my post above).

General benefit cuts for foreigners and large families were found unconstitutional or against EU law recently, so now ÖVP-FPÖ will introduce cuts based on language requirements and certain minimum education requirements: to receive the full amount of welfare per month (870€), one has to provide proof of at least a mandatory 9-year school certificate (which basically all Austrians have, but basically no foreigner from let's say Pakistan or Afghanistan) and sufficient German-skills, which every Austrian citizen has, but many foreigners lack. If foreigners pass a German or English language course and receive B1 or C1 certificates, they will also get the full amount of welfare. The third requirement will be at least 5 years in the country before claiming any benefits. This does not apply to EU-citizens here with a work contract, or accepted refugees (who can claim welfare right away).

Also, certain groups on welfare will actually get more under the reform plans - such as single-moms or dads or the disabled and there's also a nice development on the issue of recourse: Currently, welfare recipients have to spend all their assets before they can claim welfare money (there are certain exemptions, such as having a few thousand € in a bank account, a car etc. for work). If a welfare recipient also owns a house, the state can tap into the assets of the owner after 6 months if that house is sold at some point and claim back some of the money that the state spent for welfare. The FPÖ (as the new Social Democratic Party in the coalition) wanted to end the state recourse on welfare recipients for good. The new compromise now is that the state will only tap into the assets of a welfare recipient after 3 years, which should be enough time for someone to get out of welfare again and back to work or into retirement.

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/neue-sozialhilfe-worauf-sich-die-bundesregierung-einigen-konnte/400337086

[Tender Branson]

Chancellor Kurz: Reform of the minimum income brings fairness and justice

Council of Ministers presents reform of minimum income, Artificial Intelligence strategy and adopted apprenticeship package

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https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/-/bundeskanzler-kurz-reform-der-mindestsicherung-bringt-fairness-und-gerechtigkeit

[Tender Branson]

Austrians are sceptical about the possible effects of Brexit, according to the new "Profil" poll:

47% say Brexit will negatively effect the UK, the EU and Austria in the long run
  8% say Brexit will have positive effects
29% say it will have a mix of positive and negative effects
16% are undecided

https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20181201_OTS0004/profil-umfrage-jeder-zweite-befuerchtet-nachteile-durch-brexit

[Omega21]

Chancellor Kurz: Reform of the minimum income brings fairness and justice

Council of Ministers presents reform of minimum income, Artificial Intelligence strategy and adopted apprenticeship package

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/-/bundeskanzler-kurz-reform-der-mindestsicherung-bringt-fairness-und-gerechtigkeit

I'm curious, If elections were tomorrow, who would you vote for?

Asking you since you usually vote Left (SPÖ or Greens), so I'm interested in seeing if the great work the goverment is doing is enough to convince a Left leaning voter to vote for ÖVP, as things like the minimum income reform that gives less to Migrants is not something the SPÖ would do.


As for me, I would vote for ÖVP or FPÖ, whoever needs the vote more, as I would like to see the current coalition continue.

[Tender Branson]

I'm curious, If elections were tomorrow, who would you vote for?

Asking you since you usually vote Left (SPÖ or Greens), so I'm interested in seeing if the great work the goverment is doing is enough to convince a Left leaning voter to vote for ÖVP, as things like the minimum income reform that gives less to Migrants is not something the SPÖ would do.

As for me, I would vote for ÖVP or FPÖ, whoever needs the vote more, as I would like to see the current coalition continue.

Don't know really ...

I'd probably vote for NEOS if the election is next Sunday (voted for the Greens several times about 10 to 5 years ago and SPÖ in 2017 as you said, but not really enthusiastically). This is probably my choice for the EU elections as well.

Yeah, the ÖVP-FPÖ government is doing a good job on several topics, but I'd probably still not vote for the ÖVP in a major election and I have never voted for the FPÖ so far and never will. The SPÖ was giving me a headache over the last year or so, but it seems it has the potential to get better again with Rendi-Wagner as the new leader. We'll see.

Thank goodness the next election is only in 2022, so I don't have to make that "difficult" decision right now ...

[Tender Branson]

No Rendi bump for the SPÖ after their convention last weekend ... (New Ö24 poll):



I'll probably have to write Ö24 to fix their poll chart, because Peter Pilz is no longer party leader.

In other news, the above mentioned new Vienna Green Party leader, Birgit Hebein, introduced herself to the Green base yesterday and announced that she intends to remain in coalition with the city-SPÖ until the next election 2020, but that the Vienna Greens will become much more leftist on social topics and much more activist again on environmental topics to position them for 2020.

[Tender Branson]

The ÖVP-FPÖ government decided to introduce a full ban on plastic bags in the country, starting on Jan. 1, 2020.



The new law will be passed early next year in parliament and will ban all commercial use and sale of plastic bags, especially in the retail and industrial sectors. Companies and customers will have about half a year to switch to other forms of packaging, such as paper or bio-degradeable/fully compostable packagings. Austria will also ban the adding of micro-plastic into hygiene articles, such as toothpaste.

Austria will become the 3rd country in the EU (besides France and Italy) to fully ban all plastic packagings. In the US, only CA bans plastic bags.

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https://kurier.at/wirtschaft/regierung-verbot-von-plastiksackerln-kommt/400341655

Excellent stuff !



Plastic is a real evil these days (in Austria alone, 700 million plastic bags are sold/used annually compared with 89 billion bags globally) and the fact that the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition continues their "Green" policy is definitely something good.

[Omega21]

The ÖVP-FPÖ government decided to introduce a full ban on plastic bags in the country, starting on Jan. 1, 2020.



The new law will be passed early next year in parliament and will ban all commercial use and sale of plastic bags, especially in the retail and industrial sectors. Companies and customers will have about half a year to switch to other forms of packaging, such as paper or bio-degradeable/fully compostable packagings. Austria will also ban the adding of micro-plastic into hygiene articles, such as toothpaste.

Austria will become the 3rd country in the EU (besides France and Italy) to fully ban all plastic packagings. In the US, only CA bans plastic bags.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://kurier.at/wirtschaft/regierung-verbot-von-plastiksackerln-kommt/400341655

Excellent stuff !



Plastic is a real evil these days (in Austria alone, 700 million plastic bags are sold/used annually compared with 89 billion bags globally) and the fact that the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition continues their "Green" policy is definitely something good.

I must be dreaming, can a government really be this good and productive... Hopefully, we get a second term of the current coalition, it would certainly be the best thing for Austria.

[Tender Branson]

The ÖVP-FPÖ government decided to introduce a full ban on plastic bags in the country, starting on Jan. 1, 2020.



The new law will be passed early next year in parliament and will ban all commercial use and sale of plastic bags, especially in the retail and industrial sectors. Companies and customers will have about half a year to switch to other forms of packaging, such as paper or bio-degradeable/fully compostable packagings. Austria will also ban the adding of micro-plastic into hygiene articles, such as toothpaste.

Austria will become the 3rd country in the EU (besides France and Italy) to fully ban all plastic packagings. In the US, only CA bans plastic bags.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://kurier.at/wirtschaft/regierung-verbot-von-plastiksackerln-kommt/400341655

Excellent stuff !



Plastic is a real evil these days (in Austria alone, 700 million plastic bags are sold/used annually compared with 89 billion bags globally) and the fact that the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition continues their "Green" policy is definitely something good.

I must be dreaming, can a government really be this good and productive... Hopefully, we get a second term of the current coalition, it would certainly be the best thing for Austria.

Yeah, the government is doing many things right recently and this is another example. But expect some resistance from the industry and retail corporations. I still hope that ÖVP-FPÖ is forcing the plastic ban down the throats of big business.

https://www.tt.com/ticker/15082458/plastiksackerl-verbot-kritik-von-wkoe-und-handelsverband

[Tender Branson]

Things ÖVP-FPÖ have on their agenda for 2019:

* On Jan. 1, 2019 the child tax credit will take effect: 1.500€ per year and child

* A 5 Bio. € tax cut/reform plan will be worked out and passed by summer, effective 1.1.2020

* In Q1, they will pass a small tax-cut for workers already with lower ancillary labour costs

* A full ban on plastic in retail and industry, effective 1.1.2020

* Tackling the emerging long-term care problem, as people get older, with a new concept

* 5G broadband internet rollout and expansion

* a focus on digital media and MINT-based education in schools and administration

* reform of the unemployment money system (=> those who worked longer get more)

https://www.krone.at/1819816

And of course it has nothing to do with ÖVP-FPÖ, gay marriage will become legal on January 1.

[Tender Branson]

The conservative-nationalist ÖVP-FPÖ government is now in office for a year and on this occasion, Chancellor Kurz and Vice-Chancellor Strache held a press conference, praising their achievements over the past year and outlined their major goals for 2019 (which I posted above).



https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/-/bundesregierung-zieht-positive-jahresbilanz-hohes-tempo-wird-fortgesetzt

They also released a 24-page PDF with achievements from all ministries:

Link

[Tender Branson]

In the latest "Heute" newspaper poll, the FPÖ falls to the lowest level in years (probably an outlier, because nothing significant happened that would result in such a drop):



Historical results of this pollster:



The Chancellor vote is pretty dark for the SPÖ, with Kurz ahead 37-17 against Rendi-Wagner and 13% for Strache.

https://www.heute.at/politik/news/story/Sonntagsumfrage-Kanzlerfrage-Direktwahl-Kurz-Rendi-Wagner-Strache-49531286

[Tender Branson]

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is in Africa (specifically in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia and then Rwanda) to prepare for the EU-Africa Summit in Vienna on Dec. 18th - as part of Austria's EU presidency.





https://allafrica.com/stories/201812060043.html

[Tender Branson]

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) remains by far the most popular politician in the country, followed by SPÖ-leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

Interesting also that Transport & Infrastructure Minister Norbert Hofer (FPÖ) and President Van der Bellen (Greens) have the same popularity. Just like in 2016, when they got 50% each in the Presidential election ...

Also, Hartwig Löger (the Finance Minister) is very popular. Usually, finance ministers are not very popular because of tax issues, but the balanced budget might boost him.

The chart shows the balance of "have a favourable opinion" minus "have an unfavourable opinion" of this politician.

And the changes compared with a year ago.

[Tender Branson]

Meanwhile, after visiting Ethiopia, Kurz has arrived in Rwanda:

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https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/-/bundeskanzler-kurz-lebensbedingungen-in-afrika-verbessern