Austrian Elections & Politics - Version 1.0

[Tender Branson]

I had un-ignored Tender to follow the Vienna election ; I will now merrily re-ignore him.

Do what you want ...

Just some more info here:

Efgani Dönmez was not "axed", he was merely not reelected by the Upper Austrian Greens leadership. Seats in the Bundesrat are proportioned by state, and within the state, according to a party's result in the last state election. State party leadership thus elects the number of Bundesrat MPs allotted to the party after each election - and they chose another, younger guy over Dönmez this time, unsurprisingly given some of his remarks which were quite out of party line, and at times blatantly homophobic.

He was not "axed" or expelled from the party or whatever, it was a plain, normal party vote.

By the way, no one in Austria but Tender seems to care about this, I had to search directly for it to even hear about it.

Judging by the 1.000 or so comments on the "Standard", it is certainly an interesting topic for readers.

And most of the commenters have a view similar to me, which is quite a bit surprising for the left-liberal Standard forum community.

Also, you are saying it was only a "party vote", not an "axing". That's a point of view, but the way they did it it looked more like an axing. The Green leadership in Upper Austria just waited for the next best opportunity to kick him out of the Bundesrat and replace him with someone else. Contrary to the procedure of other Bundesrat members, who often serve there for 20 years and they always get their term extended by their party leadership, as they are literally glued to their seats ... Not so with Dönmez, he simply got eradicated by the Green leadership for being "critical" to their holy (sometimes dangerous) leftist worldview.

[Cranberry]

Just some more info here:

Efgani Dönmez was not "axed", he was merely not reelected by the Upper Austrian Greens leadership. Seats in the Bundesrat are proportioned by state, and within the state, according to a party's result in the last state election. State party leadership thus elects the number of Bundesrat MPs allotted to the party after each election - and they chose another, younger guy over Dönmez this time, unsurprisingly given some of his remarks which were quite out of party line, and at times blatantly homophobic.

He was not "axed" or expelled from the party or whatever, it was a plain, normal party vote.

By the way, no one in Austria but Tender seems to care about this, I had to search directly for it to even hear about it.

Judging by the 1.000 or so comments on the "Standard", it is certainly an interesting topic for readers.

And most of the commenters have a view similar to me, which is quite a bit surprising for the left-liberal Standard forum community.

Also, you are saying it was only a "party vote", not an "axing". That's a point of view, but the way they did it it looked more like an axing. The Green leadership in Upper Austria just waited for the next best opportunity to kick him out of the Bundesrat and replace him with someone else. Contrary to the procedure of other Bundesrat members, who often serve there for 20 years and they always get their term extended by their party leadership, as they are literally glued to their seats ... Not so with Dönmez, he simply got eradicated by the Green leadership for being "critical" to their holy (sometimes dangerous) leftist worldview.

Well no, they vote for the Bundesrat MPs after every state election, if you want to call that "the next best opportunity" so be it. He repeatedly stated homophobic and xenophobic remarks, in contrast to the party's official line, so that's why they did not vote for him again. As easy as that. Stop making a witchhunt out of a non-issue.

[DavidB.]

Well, it might be entirely legitimate for the Greens to say goodbye to him, but it might simultaneously be entirely legitimate for Tender to draw his own conclusions from that fact.

[Cranberry]

Well, it might be entirely legitimate for the Greens to say goodbye to him, but it might simultaneously be entirely legitimate for Tender to draw his own conclusions from that fact.

Of course, but it is just as legitimate for me to not take them seriously if he talks about a "night of long knives".

[DavidB.]

Yeah, that wasn't exactly the best comparison. Still, what would the Austria thread be without this kind of hyperboles

Edit: wow, I don't know why it posted this 9 times or so...

[Flocke]

Judging by the 1.000 or so comments on the "Standard", it is certainly an interesting topic for readers.

Observation by the former leader of the Pirate Party a few days ago: "I checked the comments on derStandard, which Green politicians are mentioned in a positive or negative way. Guess what it correlates perfectly with?" (Hint: the correct answer starts with a P and ends with "nis")

And most of the commenters have a view similar to me, which is quite a bit surprising for the left-liberal Standard forum community.

The Standard and its readers are left-liberal. The moderation of its forum is also very liberal, as a consequence many commenters are not left-liberal. Look at the comments on the catholic liberal-conservative diePresse, most of them are agreeing with the FPÖ, or are to the right of their official positions.    

[Flocke]

The districts on the east bank of the Danube, Floridsdorf and Donaustadt, are mostly suburban; there is a bit of urban development (UNO-City, Donauturm...) along the river, but on their outer parts there are many yet completely undeveloped parts, and suburban villages among them.

Partly true, but the precincts that went heavily for the FPÖ where the big public housing complexes. The last Falter issue had an article about them: Build in the 70s by Harry Glück, under the slogan "Luxury for Everyone", with fitness rooms Kindergartens, saunas and swimming pools on the rooftop. Residents are paying 600 Euros for 100 square metres, and blaming immigrants that their children don't get those kind of benefits.

[Tender Branson]

According to OGM (the best pollster this year), former Supreme Court judge Irmgard Griss is the most popular likely Presidential candidate - even topping Green Alexander Van der Bellen:

(balance of having a good/bad opinion of this candidate)



http://www.tt.com/home/10648681-91/hofburg-anw%C3%A4rter-irmgard-griss-genie%C3%9Ft-gr%C3%B6%C3%9Ftes-vertrauen.csp

[Flocke]

Griss is ahead in the net numbers, but almost two thirds have no opinion/don't know her:

                       confidence - no confidence
Van der Bellen 49% - 30%  
Hundstorfer    49% - 38%
Pühringer      46% - 33%
Pröll          46% - 37%
Griss          29% -  5%
Moser          24% - 11%

[Flocke]

Market poll (compared to September)

FPÖ   30% (-2%)
SPÖ   24% (+2%)
ÖVP   22% (-1%)
GRÜNE 15% (n.c.)
NEOS   5% (+1%)


Hypothetical direct election for Chancellor:

Reinhold Mitterlehner (ÖVP)   22% (+7%)
Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ) 20% (-1%)
Werner Faymann (SPÖ)          16% (+6%)
Eva Glawischnig (GRÜNE)       10% (+5%)
Matthias Strolz (NEOS)         6% (+3%)
Frank Stronach (FRANK)         0% (n.c)

[Tender Branson]

2 things to add to Flocke's posts:

* Market constantly overestimates the Green share (always at 15-16%, when in fact the Greens have no more than 12-13%)

* Griss will likely be supported by FPÖ, NEOS and TS (which would benefit them, because then they don't have to waste millions for another campaign). Griss would also be the first female president in Austria, if elected.

[Tender Branson]

State election update:

Upper Austria will now definitely get a new right-wing ÖVP-FPÖ state coalition.

The ÖVP will get 4 cabinet posts, the FPÖ 3, the SPÖ and Greens 1 each.

FPÖ gets the important posts of security (police, asylum etc.), infrastructure and apartment construction/aid for renters etc.

The ÖVP will get all the posts that have to do with the economy/jobs and agriculture.

SPÖ will get the social issues and the Greens the environmental ones.

http://ooe.orf.at/news/stories/2737666

The new coalition will be presented on Thursday and sworn in on Friday.

It follows ÖVP-Greens, which has governed OÖ between 2003-2015.

The ÖVP-FPÖ coalition got 67% of the vote in the state election and it will have 70% of the seats in the state parliament.

[Tender Branson]

State election update #2:

In Vienna, election "winner" & mayor Häupl (SPÖ) has ruled out any 3-part coalition today, which means NEOS will be in opposition.

This further means that coalition talks will start tomorrow with either ÖVP or Greens. SPÖVP would only have a thin majority of 51/100 seats, while (the current) SPÖ-Green coalition would have a more comfortable 55/100 majority.

http://derstandard.at/2000024125377/Haeupl-schliesst-Dreierkoalition-fuer-Wien-aus

[Tender Branson]

State election update #2:

In Vienna, election "winner" & mayor Häupl (SPÖ) has ruled out any 3-part coalition today, which means NEOS will be in opposition.

This further means that coalition talks will start tomorrow with either ÖVP or Greens. SPÖVP would only have a thin majority of 51/100 seats, while (the current) SPÖ-Green coalition would have a more comfortable 55/100 majority.

http://derstandard.at/2000024125377/Haeupl-schliesst-Dreierkoalition-fuer-Wien-aus

SPÖ-Green coalition talks it will be ...

The talks will last for about 3 weeks and the new (old) government should be ready by mid-November.

http://derstandard.at/2000024204630/Rot-gruen-mit-grossen-Chancen-auf-Fortsetzung

[Tender Branson]

Thread will now be closed.