The 2012 Austrian Election Interlude: The rise of Frank Stronach and more ...

[Tender Branson]

Braunau am Inn, Upper Austria, has elected its first ÖVP-mayor since WW2 yesterday.

Johannes Waidbacher (ÖVP) defeated Günter Pointner (SPÖ) by 51.04% to 48.96%.

Previously, all mayors in Braunau were from the SPÖ.

http://derstandard.at/1297216242896/Machtwechsel-in-Braunau-Erstmals-nach-55-Jahren-OeVP-Buergermeister

The first round results were:

Social Democrat (SPÖ) Günter Pointner, who got 39.62 per cent, and the People’s Party’s (ÖVP) Johannes Waidbacher, who garnered 37.33 per cent, will compete in the run-off election.

Green party candidate Manfred Hackl got 12.49 per cent, and the Freedom Party’s (FPÖ) Brigitte Zeillinger received 10.57 per cent.

http://austrianindependent.com/news/Politics/2011-01-31/6135/Run-off_election_for_Braunau_mayor_on_13_February

[Tender Branson]

New Profil/Karmasin Motivforschung poll:

28%  (-1) SPÖ
26%  (nc) ÖVP
25% (+7) FPÖ
13% (+3) Greens
  5%  (-6) BZÖ
  3%  (-3) Others

Direct vote for Chancellor:

20% Werner Faymann (SPÖ)
15% Josef Pröll (ÖVP)
11% Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ)
  6% Eva Glawischnig (Greens)

http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20110219_OTS0009/profil-umfrage-fpoe-kann-nummer-eins-werden

APA/OGM Trust Index:

President Heinz Fischer (SPÖ): 70% trust, 23% no trust (+47)
Vice-Chancellor Josef Pröll (ÖVP): 49% trust, 42% no trust (+7)
Chancellor Werner Faymann (SPÖ): 48% trust, 44% no trust (+4)

Eva Glawischnig (Green-leader): 37% trust, 43% no trust (-6)
Josef Bucher (BZÖ-leader): 29% trust, 39% no trust (-10)
Maria Fekter (Interior Minister, ÖVP): 36% trust, 52% no trust (-16)
Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ-leader): 33% trust, 59% no trust (-26)
Norbert Darabos (Defense Minister, SPÖ): 22% trust, 61% no trust (-39)

http://www.ogm.at/pdfs/BundespolitikerInnen_Februar11.pdf

[Tender Branson]

The fact that the FPÖ is currently unable to get more than 25% is probably due to recent circumstances within the party:

In Vorarlberg, the criminal police found about 200 weapons, knives, Nazi-uniforms and other Nazi-stuff in the basement of a local FPÖ-member.

And also the fact that the FPÖ is strongly for keeping the draft system, even though it was recently revealed that many top-level FPÖ functionarys have dodged the draft. That could alienate many young voters who normally back the FPÖ, but are against the draft system.

[Tender Branson]

Immigration and Asylum now gets much harder in Austria:

Austrian Cabinet adopts new rules for foreigners

By VERONIKA OLEKSYN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 22, 2011; 12:31 PM

VIENNA -- Austria's Cabinet on Tuesday approved new immigration and asylum rules, amid criticism from the United Nations and others.

Some of the new measures will see asylum seekers confined to special centers for up to seven days on arrival while their refugee status is analyzed, while others require some immigrants to have German proficiency before entering the country.

In a statement, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees expressed concern about the confinement aspects of the new measures, saying this was equal to "detention with the doors open," since those who fail to comply face deportation.

The UNHCR also warned of a "step back for the protection of refugees."

According to the Interior Ministry, children under the age of 14 will not be taken into custody while awaiting deportation under the new measures. But the UNHCR said minors aged 16 to 18 will still face that fate. "All children must have the same protection," it said.

Interior Minister Maria Fekter, a hard-liner on issues relating to asylum, said the requirement will prevent people from disappearing while they await word on whether they're allowed to stay in the country.

"If someone asks us for protection, then they'll get it if they have (genuine) asylum reasons," Fekter said.

Under the new rules, Cabinet members say a new "red-white-red" work permit will make it easier for more qualified foreigners from outside the European Union to fill gaps left by an aging labor force.

Social Affairs Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said it will allow non-EU citizens to apply for the jobs Austria is having a problem filling. It is currently very difficult for non-EU foreigners to work in Austria legally because employers need to justify taking a non-EU citizen over locals and other EU citizens.

"Austria needs qualified immigrants," Hundstorfer said in a statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022203579.html

[Tender Branson]

New Gallup/Ö24 poll:

27%  [-2.3] SPÖ
25%  [-1.0] ÖVP
24% [+6.5] FPÖ
14% [+3.6] Greens
  4%  [-6.7] BZÖ
  6%  [-0.1] Others

Majority for SPÖVP, ÖVP-FPÖ and SPÖ-FPÖ.

Direct vote for Chancellor:



Approval Rating of the SPÖVP government:

24% Approve
76% Disapprove

Approval Rating of Government politicians:



Faymann: 27% Approve, 39% Disapprove
Pröll: 22% Approve, 40% Disapprove

[Tender Branson]

New Salzburg state election poll:



Direct vote for Governor:

53% Gabi Burgstaller (SPÖ)
18% Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP)
  2% Karl Schnell (FPÖ)
  1% Cyriak Schwaighofer (Greens)
25% Undecided

Approval Ratings of SPÖ and ÖVP leaders:

Gabi Burgstaller: 70% Excellent/Good, 22% Fair, 7% Poor, 1% Undecided
Wilfried Haslauer: 77% Excellent/Good, 17% Fair, 5% Poor, 2% Undecided

Should the draft in Austria be abolished ?

51% Yes
45% No

http://www.salzburger-fenster.at/redaktionell/2194-sf-umfrage-so-steht-es-im-land-oevp-40-spoe-39-fpoe-13-gruene-7.html

[Tender Branson]

Seems like all the BZÖ voters from 2009 are now back in the ÖVP camp - where they belong.

Also: People here in Salzburg rate the work of the ÖVP boss higher than that of the incumbent Governor, yet she beats him by 3:1 in a direct vote.

Maybe this has to do with the fact that Haslauer doesn't have the charisma of his father - who was the Governor of Salzburg in the 70s and 80s.

Burgstaller on the other hand can really connect with the people.

[Hash]

Random question - anybody have a exit poll or poll or something showing the vote motivations for FPO voters and/or the reasons for their votes?

[Tender Branson]

Random question - anybody have a exit poll or poll or something showing the vote motivations for FPO voters and/or the reasons for their votes?

Is this is a serious question or are you being sarcastic ?

[Hash]

Random question - anybody have a exit poll or poll or something showing the vote motivations for FPO voters and/or the reasons for their votes?

Is this is a serious question or are you being sarcastic ?

It's obviously a serious question, because I need stuff like that for a paper I'm doing.

[Tender Branson]

Random question - anybody have a exit poll or poll or something showing the vote motivations for FPO voters and/or the reasons for their votes?

Is this is a serious question or are you being sarcastic ?

It's obviously a serious question, because I need stuff like that for a paper I'm doing.

Oh, I thought you were sarcastic ...

Why do you want an Exit Poll ? There is no election.

This is a poll for the Salzburg state election that is likely to take place in the year 2014.

There are no state or national elections here in Austria until the year 2013, except if the SPÖVP government breaks before this date.

[Hash]

2008 or prior exit poll, or Vienna 2010.

[Tender Branson]

2008 or prior exit poll, or Vienna 2010.

Ah, I understand.

SORA does the Exit Polls here.

2010 Vienna:

http://www.sora.at/fileadmin/downloads/wahlen/2010_wahltagsbefragung_grafiken_web.pdf

2010 President:

http://www.sora.at/fileadmin/downloads/wahlen/2010_bp-wahl_grafiken.pdf

2008 Parliament:

http://www.sora.at/fileadmin/downloads/wahlen/2008_nrw_wahlanalyse.pdf

2006 Parliament:

http://www.sora.at/fileadmin/downloads/wahlen/2006_nrw_wahltagsbefragung_presseunterlage.pdf

2002 Parliament:

http://www.sora.at/fileadmin/downloads/wahlen/2002_nrw_wahltagsbefragung_wahlanalyse.pdf

You can view all exit polls from 1994 to 2010, also state elections and EU elections here:

http://www.sora.at/themen/wahlverhalten/wahlanalysen.html

[Tender Branson]

New Kurier/OGM poll:



So there's a 3-way race for 1st place:



Direct vote for Chancellor:



http://kurier.at/nachrichten/2080439.php

Also interesting that the Center-Right parties (ÖVP/FPÖ/BZÖ) are now @ 60%, while Red-Green have just 38% support.

The poll also says that Austrians are now opposed to ending the Military draft for the first time in an OGM poll. The fumble by the SPÖ might explain why some SPÖ-voters went over to the FPÖ and why the ÖVP is now in first place again.

[Tender Branson]

Strache @ the Austrian Tea Party gathering (Aschermittwoch-Treffen) yesterday in Ried (Upper Austria):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INtEcVsku8Y

Some quotes by Strache:

"Ried will never become Riad. We'll make sure of that."

"We are unstoppable. Our time will come, our time is closer than many here in Austria think."

"We are the last hope for the hopeless in our society. We as the Social Homeland Party are the Future Party of our Homeland."

This all in the first 4 minutes ...

Need to watch more of it ...

Looks like Hitler in some beer-cellar in Munich in the late 20s, early 30s ...

[Emperor]

Interesting guy this Strache. Not political correct and a patriot for Austia as I see. Is he also anti UE to this level like Nigel Farage?

[Tender Branson]

Interesting guy this Strache. Not political correct and a patriot for Austia as I see. Is he also anti UE to this level like Nigel Farage?

Don't know how much Anti-EU Nigel Farage is, but Strache often said that he favors the Exit of Austria from the EU. He also recently attacked Finance Minister Pröll for wasting the taxpayer money of the Austrian middle-class by funding the rescue packages for Greece and Ireland. He also attacked the EU for proposing ridiculous things like mandatory energy-saving lamps (which even I acknowledge was a retarded thing). He also referred to Austria's entry into the EU as similar to the Anschluss to Germany in 1938. And so on ...

[Tender Branson]

Things like this also cement Strache's view of the EUdSSR:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Emperor]

Things like this also cement Strache's view of the EUdSSR:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Very interesting. I can only agree with him. But he must be carefull  not to drive his car at night as Heider did...for obvious reasons... Looks like I will root for FPO in Austria this time.

[Tender Branson]

Norbert Kapeller, ÖVP-MP and the defense-expert of the ÖVP, stepped down today after it was revealed that he or his wife used the handicapped ID of her dead father to park in various places (train stations, etc.) in Upper Austria and Vienna.



He said his wife was to blame for it, which she then also said was the case.

Kapeller was one of the hardliners within the ÖVP, who strongly favored the draft.

Kapeller also cited a "witch-hunt" concerning his person for his decision to step down.

[minionofmidas]

Lolwut.

[Boris]

LOL Austria

[Emperor]

LOL!- what a country..

[Tender Branson]

Norbert Kapeller, ÖVP-MP and the defense-expert of the ÖVP, stepped down today after it was revealed that he or his wife used the handicapped ID of her dead father to park in various places (train stations, etc.) in Upper Austria and Vienna.

A replacement has been named for Kapeller as defense-expert.

Oswald Klikovits from the Burgenland-ÖVP, who is already an MP (here shown with a cookie-box):



The seat held by Kapeller will be taken by Michael Hammer, who is a member of the Bundesrat.

[Tender Branson]

There's also a new poll out today by Karmasin Motivforschung for "Profil" newspaper:

27% SPÖ
26% FPÖ
26% ÖVP
13% Greens
  5% BZÖ
  3% Others

http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20110319_OTS0004/profil-umfrage-spoe-oevp-und-fpoe-fast-gleichauf-faymann-vor-proell