2009 State and European Parliament Elections in Austria

[freek]

- NL - Netherlands: The Netherlands has not made an official announcement yet. The appointee will depend to a large extent on the portfolio. The names being heard most often, apart from Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who some see as the future European Council president, include: Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, Yvonne van Rooy, chancellor of the University of Tilburg and former deputy minister for economic affairs, former Agriculture Minister Cees Veermans and Economic Affairs Minister Maria van der Hoeven.

The new European Commissioner from the Netherlands will be the same as the current Commissioner Neelie Kroes. Her current portfolio is Competition, her new portfolio is still unknown, but it is probable that it will have to do with the economy (e.g. Trade, Internal Market, Economy&Finance). Also, she will be one of the vice-chairmen of the Commission.

[Tender Branson]

The Austrian Government is becoming more female. ÖVP-leader Josef Pröll has picked MP Katharina Cortolezis-Schlager to replace Johannes Hahn as Minister for Science and Research:



So, from 2010 on there will be 7 male ministers and 6 female ministers in the Faymann-Cabinet.

Presidential Election Info:

There was a debate what happens if President Fischer is the only candidate on the April 25, 2010 ballot. If this is the case, the "election" will be changed into a referendum on Fischer and the question will read: "Do you want Fischer to serve a second term as President of Austria ?" If a majority answers "No" (which is very, very unlikely), a new election will be called (in which - interestingly - Fischer could run again).

BTW: A new OGM-poll shows a 71% Fischer approval rating.

[Tender Branson]

New Gallup poll for Ö24 out today:

66% of Austrians say President Heinz Fischer should be re-elected by the 2 Chambers of Parliament rather than the people if he's the only candidate in April 2010 ("Electoral College"), while 29% are against this idea.

If Fischer is the only candidate and the popular vote takes place, 75% would vote to re-elect him and 18% would not.

If there`s a single candidate that is backed by the right-wing parties (ÖVP/FPÖ/BZÖ), 64% would vote for Fischer, 14% for the right-wing candidate and another 22% are undecided.

The ÖVP is now leaning against running a candidate on their own, the FPÖ is in favor of running a candidate, the BZÖ wants to run a candidate if no other party runs one and the Greens are undecided.

The new Gallup poll also shows the SPÖ coming closer to the ÖVP again:

ÖVP: 34% (+8%)
SPÖ: 30% (+1%)
FPÖ: 19% (+1%)
Greens: 12% (+2%)
BZÖ: 4% (-7%)
Others: 1% (-5%)

SPÖVP Government Approval Rating:

41% Approve
52% Disapprove

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Oesterreicher-fuer-Absage-von-BP-Wahl-0586746.ece

[Tender Branson]

The Burgenland State Elections will be on May 2, 2010 - 1 week after the Presidential elections.

The state-SPÖ, which has an absolute majority, set the date today - probably to get a good result after the (to be expected) landslide re-election of SPÖ-President Fischer.

[Tender Branson]

Wohoo, President Fischer has an opponent now - and it`s a Christian fundie:

Rudolf Gehring, leader of the Austrian Christian Party (CPÖ), has announced that he will oppose Fischer in the April 25, 2010 Presidential elections.

Gehring is a strong Islam-critic and abortion-opponent.

But first he'll have to find 6.000 signatures to be on the ballot. I guess the CPÖ will be able to accomplish that, because of their recent ballot success in various elections.

Here´s Gehring (right) with Austrian FPÖ-leader Strache at an Anti-Islam demo:

[Tender Branson]

Austrian parliament OKs gay civil unions

VIENNA — Austria's parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a move hailed by proponents as a historic win for gay rights in the country.

The bill, slated to become law Jan. 1, will give same-sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts, including access to a pension if one partner dies and alimony in the event of a split.

"We are living in the 21st century and I'm very glad this step is being taken today," Justice Minister Claudia Bandion-Ortner said during parliamentary debate leading up to the vote.

Christian Hoegl, co-president of the Homosexual Initiative Vienna, Austria's oldest group of gays and lesbians, agreed.

"It's a relief, a big success and a reward for two decades of lobbying," Hoegl said.

Earlier in the day, Hoegl and co-president Jona Solomon passed out pink rum-filled cupcakes to parliamentarians, along with a letter that urged them to vote yes.

The legislation — considered a compromise between the governing coalition — did not pass unanimously. In the end, of the 174 lawmakers who cast ballots, 110 voted in favor of the bill, and 64 voted against it.

The opposition right-wing Freedom Party rejected it outright, saying it goes too far. The Greens, on the other hand, argued it was too limited.

Freedom Party chief Heinz-Christian Strache said the parliament's approval went against the will of most Austrians and undermined the institution of marriage.

The new bill also formally bans the adoption of children or artificial insemination for same-sex couples.

And, unlike straight couples, gay couples will not be able to record their unions at the civil registry office but with another authority instead. The issue led to heated debate in recent weeks, with critics saying it clearly signals that a same-sex partnership isn't given the same weight as a marriage between a man and a woman.

Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, a Social Democrat who is the country's minister for women's affairs and fought against the registration differences, described the vote as "the first step in the right direction."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDt8Yq8oetIOgJKLxdZGsNAvWNDwD9CGM8U80

[Tender Branson]

Latest polls for the 2010 Burgenland state elections:

OGM/News

SPÖ: 48% (-4)
ÖVP: 34% (-2)
FPÖ: 10% (+4)
Greens: 5% (nc)
FW: 2% (+2)
Others (BZÖ): 1% (nc)

M&R Institut für Marktforschung & Regionalumfragen

SPÖ: 46% (-6)
ÖVP: 35% (-1)
FPÖ: 13% (+7)
Greens: 4% (-1)
Others (FW, BZÖ): 2% (+1)

[Tender Branson]

Latest federal Market poll for the newspaper "Standard":



Right-wing parties (ÖVP+FPÖ+BZÖ): 60%
Left-wing parties (SPÖ+Greens): 37%

Direct vote for Chancellor:

[Хahar 🤔]

Is the BZÖ relevant without Haider?

[Tender Branson]

Is the BZÖ relevant without Haider?

Not anymore. The BZÖ-Governor of Carinthia is literally a joke politician, similar to GWB, who - together with the party - is wrecking the state and it`s finances. Carinthia is the most indebted state in Austria right now and it`s debt per capita will be 3 times higher in 2014, a rise unseen in other states. It has also the most people in poverty in all of Austria. The banking scandal of the Hypo, based in Carinthia and sold to the Bavarians in 2007, also takes a big toll on the BZÖ. The Bavarians and Carinthians fu**ed up the bank in the last 2 years, because they thought they could make big profits in the Balkans, but with the financial crisis now the losses accumulated, and just yesterday the Bavarians sold the bank for 4 Bio. € to the Austrian government, which nationalized the bank to prevent a bankrupcy. Austrian finance minister Pröll is now really mad at the Carinthians. Not without reason. So, except in Carinthia, the BZÖ is politically dead in the rest of Austria and in the next local Carinthia elections the BZÖ will sink as well.

...

Austria nationalized a key regional bank in a multibillion-euro bailout that offered a fresh reminder that Europe's banks remain vulnerable to shocks, despite recent signs of economic stabilization.

Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, personally intervened in the bailout talks over the weekend, urging swift action amid concerns that Hypo Group Alpe Adria's problems could envelop other Austrian banks and its much larger parent, BayernLB -- a linchpin in Germany's troubled state-controlled Landesbank sector.

Mr. Trichet called both Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Horst Seehofer, governor of the German state of Bavaria, to ensure that Hypo was rescued, according to people familiar with the matter.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126083147557991181.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

[Tender Branson]

(For the German-speakers), some Carinthia-bashing:

Die neue Kärntner Landeshymne

Dort wo debil an deppert grenzt,
wo man mit dummen Sagern glänzt
wo man mit sägen sich bestückt
wo Ortstafeln man stolz verrückt
und wo es fehlt an Sachverstand
dort ist es, unser Kärntnerland.
wo man mit Negerwitzen prahlt
wo man Lokalrunden gern bezahlt
wo man von Wirtschaft nix versteht
und wo die Hypo untergeht
dort ist es - ihr habt es schon erkannt -
unser bankrottes Kärntnerland.
wo man die Metropole schimpft
wo Kritiker man verunglimpft
wo man der Freunderln Taschen füllt
und gegen die slowenen brüllt
dort ist es - fest in oranger Hand -
unser verjörgtes heimatland!

In diesem Sinne: LEILEI

http://derstandard.at/plink/1259281973090?sap=2&_pid=15053545#pid15053545

[Tender Branson]

Breaking News: FPÖ and BZÖ to unify !

Article soon ...

[Hash]

sh**t.

[Tender Branson]

sh**t.

I´ve just read that the FPÖ will unify only with the Carinthian BZÖ under the leadership of Uwe Scheuch, but not with the federal BZÖ, headed by Josef Bucher. They plan a CDU/CSU model with a unified parliamentary group. They will run together in federal elections, the FPÖ in 8 states and the FPK in Carinthia. The BZÖ in Carinthia will be renamed FPK (Freedom Party of Carinthia) and they`ll change the colours from Orange to Blue, like the FPÖ. Don't know what happens with the federal BZÖ under Bucher. Outside Carinthia the BZÖ is not viable and I consider them politically dead. FPÖ-leader Strache and Scheuch are now at a press conference and Scheuch said: "It`s good to be back home."

[Tender Branson]

Vienna - A regional chapter of the late Joerg Haider's rightist party joined forces with the far-right Freedom Party Wednesday, both political groups announced in Vienna. The Alliance for the Future of Austria in Carinthia province and the Freedom Party are to cooperate closely in a "unification of the third political force," Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache said in a term used for far-right parties.

Both national parties won 28.2 per cent of the vote in last year's parliamentary elections.

The Alliance split from the Freedom party in 2005 and was led by Joerg Haider until he died in the autumn of 2008 in a car accident in Carinthia, where he was governor.

"It's good to be back home," Carinthian Alliance leader Uwe Scheuch said at a joint press conference.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/299645,far-right-parties-in-austria-join-forces.html

[Tender Branson]

New seat composition in the Austrian Parliament:

SPÖ: 57
ÖVP: 51
FPÖ: 39 (+5, Martin Strutz, Maximilian Linder, Josef Jury, Sigisbert Dolinschek, Stefan Markowitz)
Greens: 20
BZÖ: 15 (-6)
IND: 1 (+1, Gerhard Huber)

No reaction from the federal BZÖ-leader Bucher yet, but regional leaders have reacted:

* Upper Austria BZÖ leader Ursula Haubner (sister of Jörg Haider) said that work in Upper Austria will go on for the state BZÖ. Last election result on Sept. 27: 2.8% (no seats)

* Robert Stark, BZÖ-leader in Salzburg also said they continue their work.  Last election result on March 1: 3.7% (no seats)

If the "Rest-BZÖ" cannot get any seats in the 2013 federal elections, they lose tax-payer money to compete in future elections, so it`s a downward spiral for them.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Robert Stark

This will never cease to be amusing.

[Tender Branson]

New seat composition in the Austrian Parliament:

SPÖ: 57
ÖVP: 51
FPÖ: 39 (+5, Martin Strutz, Maximilian Linder, Josef Jury, Sigisbert Dolinschek, Stefan Markowitz)
Greens: 20
BZÖ: 15 (-6)
IND: 1 (+1, Gerhard Huber)

No reaction from the federal BZÖ-leader Bucher yet, but regional leaders have reacted:

* Upper Austria BZÖ leader Ursula Haubner (sister of Jörg Haider) said that work in Upper Austria will go on for the state BZÖ. Last election result on Sept. 27: 2.8% (no seats)

* Robert Stark, BZÖ-leader in Salzburg also said they continue their work.  Last election result on March 1: 3.7% (no seats)

If the "Rest-BZÖ" cannot get any seats in the 2013 federal elections, they lose tax-payer money to compete in future elections, so it`s a downward spiral for them.

Seems like the newspaper reports were not entirely correct. MP Stefan Markowitz will remain member of the BZÖ and not switch to the FPÖ. That leaves 4 members from the BZÖ switching to the FPÖ.

[Tender Branson]

But the best thing now is the caotic situation in Carinthia:

The ex-BZÖ in Carinthia is now the FPK (Freedom Party of Carinthia)

Federal BZÖ-leader Bucher has said he´ll create a new "real" BZÖ chapter in Carinthia

The state FPÖ under Mario Canori, that got about 4% in the March state elections, will not disband.

That means that there will soon be 3 far-right parties in Carinthia ...

[Хahar 🤔]

Will Canori's KFPÖ be disaffiliated from the FPÖ?

[Tender Branson]

Will Canori's KFPÖ be disaffiliated from the FPÖ?

I doubt it. They are in a bad situation right now. Most of the KFPÖ hates the members of the now FPK and the proposed KBZÖ and don`t want to integrate into the larger FPK. Should be interesting what they decide to do. I think the most likely scenario will be a clear word of action from federal FPÖ-leader Strache, that if they don`t integrate into the FPK, the federal FPÖ will dry up the funds for the local party or whatever.

New seat composition in parliament, with Markowitz staying in the BZÖ-group and Huber also moving back to the BZÖ from being an Independent:

SPÖ: 57
ÖVP: 51
FPÖ: 39 (+5, Martin Strutz, Maximilian Linder, Josef Jury, Sigisbert Dolinschek, Stefan Markowitz)
Greens: 20
BZÖ: 15 (-6)
IND: 1 (+1, Gerhard Huber)

SPÖ: 57
ÖVP: 51
FPÖ: 38 (+4, Martin Strutz, Maximilian Linder, Josef Jury, Sigisbert Dolinschek)
Greens: 20
BZÖ: 17 (-4)

[Tender Branson]

First polls after the unification of FPÖ and the Carinthia-BZÖ:

Karmasin/Profil:

ÖVP: 33%
SPÖ: 30%
FPÖ: 23%
Greens: 11%
BZÖ: 2%
Others: 1%

Gallup/Ö24:

ÖVP: 34%
SPÖ: 30%
FPÖ: 21%
Greens: 11%
BZÖ: 3%
Others: 1%

[Tender Branson]

There´s also a new IMAD poll out for Tyrol:

46% ÖVP (+5 compared with 2008 state elections)
16% SPÖ (nc)
13% Greens (+2)
12% FPÖ (nc)
6% FRITZ (-12)
4% TC (+4)
Others: 3% (+1)

[Tender Branson]

The FPÖ will nominate Lower Austrian FPÖ-leader Barbara Rosenkranz as their candidate for the 2010 Presidential Elections. This should be really interesting, because Rosenkranz is a posterchild of FPÖ-policies. Strongly right-wing and nationalist, she`s married with a Nazi and they have 10 kids together. Right now she`s pushing to ban minarets in Lower Austria.

I guess she could get about 40% of the votes.

[Tender Branson]

They have already set up a homepage that is looking like a campaign homepage:



vs.



and a Christian fundie (Rudolf Gehring, pending 6000 signatures).

I´m really looking forward to the debates and map making ...