Austrian Elections & Politics - Version 1.0

[Tender Branson]

Any crosstabs? Are these young or old people saying these things?

No.

Sadly, Austrian pollsters/media are extremely backwards and they never release any crosstabs.

Crosstabs are only released for election day studies (our "exit polls").

[Tender Branson]

Wien Anders ("A different Vienna"), a lefist SYRIZA-like election platform of KPÖ/Pirates/The Real Greens/Independents has collected all signatures necessary to be on the Vienna state election ballot citywide, as well as for the city district elections in all districts (by collecting 4.500 signatures in total).



They have a young, female lead candidate:



...

Their platform in English:

12 proposals for a different Vienna - Election manifesto abridgement

Wien Anders ("Vienna different") - KPÖ, Piraten, Echt Grün and independents (abbrv.: ANDAS)
Schadinagasse 3, 1170 Vienna

There are currently 1.8 Million people living in Vienna but not all of them have the same rights. Our vision is a different Vienna with equal rights and chances for everyone, a city where it's possible to be unique without being afraid.

These are our proposals for a different Vienna:

1. Social Coverage for everyone - implementing an unconditional basic income

Almost 400.000 people in Vienna are living in poverty or at the risk of poverty often despite gainful employment – as a first step to an unconditional basic income the guaranteed minimum income will be set to be above the poverty line; further transfer benefits such as the minimum pension will be raised. We demand lawyers specialized for the unemployed and social advocates free of charge. Furthermore, we are against bans on begging.

2. Participation for everyone – one Person one Vote

25 percent of people living in Vienna and paying taxes are not entitled to participate in federal, state and municipal elections because the do not have Austrian or EU citizenship. That is unfair! Because of that we demand a residence citizenship so that everyone can participate and partake in elections. The undemocratic 5%-threshold in elections has to fall so that truly every vote can count the same.

3. Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Even as municipal employees of the municipality of Vienna women earn less than men. In recent years, more and more anti-abortionists threaten women's rights of bodily autonomy. We demand the implementation of an independent women's council of the city of Vienna, free abortions and safety areas around ambulatories, equal payment for equal work, quota regulations in municipal work as well as the encouragement of women in politics, the city hall and the districts.

4. Bring on the good life! Work has to pay off

More and more people are in precarious employment and can hardly afford a life with their income. The municipality of Vienna is a bad example – we demand the reduction of working hours to 30 hours with no loss of pay, a statutory minimum wages of 12€ per hour and the right to work for refugees and immigrants.

5. Promote cooperative housing! For the Karl-Marx-Hof of the 21st Century

A lot of people cannot afford to live in Vienna. Council Housing is expensive, management and utility invoicing is not transparent. We demand vacancy charges, housing following the lead of the Hugo-Breitner-Steuer, that charges wealthier ones more, transparent allocation of municipal housing and the encouragement of alternative forms of housing.

6. A Right to the City - Reclaim Public Spaces

More and more public places are threatened by commercialization and advertising areas inhibit the view on the city's beauty. We demand the protection of public spaces against privatization and speculation as well as the abolition of commercial advertising to restore the city’s charm.

7. Transparent Politics instead of Transparent People

Currently, political decisions are made behind closed doors while at the same time video surveillance defines everyone as a suspicious. We demand transparent politics, budgets in which we can participate and the end of mass surveillance and data retention.

8. Education, Science and Culture for Everybody

School funds are being cut while the workload for teachers increases. The social background determines the level of education while access to culture and science constantly becomes more expensive. We demand comprehensive schools for Vienna, more appreciation of the teaching profession and an easy access to Culture and Science for Everybody.

9. No to Second-Class Medicine

Sadly, second-class medicine and second-class care are standard in our city – we demand a solidary health-care-system with multi-professional teams and their adequate financial compensation through unified wage agreements.

10. Streets to live on - For a Free Public Transport System

Motorized private traffic still negatively affects all of our lives. Health problems due to excessive noise and fine particles are the consequence. We demand free public transport, the implementation of a rapid transit railway around Vienna and the expansion of the City-Bike network.

11. Legalisation of Cannabis

Annually the prohibition of marijuana criminalizes thousands of people. The prosecution of consumers is an unnecessary waste of public money. We demand the legalization of marijuana and a programme for sensible addiction prevention.

12. Diverse without fear – The City belongs to All of Us

People who “step out of line” are often humiliated and disrespected. We demand that Vienna shall take a pioneering role as a city in which people can live together and embrace their diversity. There is no place for hate against those who do not fit the everyday sexism and racism in Vienna. In our city we acknowledge, appreciate and protect the rights of all of nature’s creatures – humans and animals.

We are well aware of various other topics we need to be concerned with. We will – after entering the municipal council with your help – add further topics to our agenda. As a further note, we are convinced that our current economic system is the main reason for our problems. Therefore our policies will always be orientated to allow a step further into a better world.

http://wienanders.at/programm/en

[Tender Branson]

So far, there are 7 parties/lists on the Vienna ballot citywide (by ballot order):

1 - SPÖ
2 - FPÖ
3 - ÖVP
4 - Greens
5 - NEOS
6 - WWW (=> TS/BZÖ-backed list)
7 - Wien Anders

Because the election is only on Oct. 11, there's still about 1 more month left to collect signatures.

[DavidB.]

Interesting. Until now, Austria has of course resisted the Western European trend of parties succesfully positioning themselves primarily as an alternative to the economic left of the social democrats (in a "working class" sense), which must be one of the reasons that the SPÖ hasn't yet become as electorally vulnerable as most social democratic parties in Western Europe. This lack of a real left-wing alternative to the SPÖ is probably also, to some extent, one of the reasons for the Austrian Greens' remarkable electoral strength. It seems logical that a party like Die Linke or the Dutch SP could gain ground in the country, and given that Vienna is pretty much a blue-collar city, it could do well there, taking votes from both FPÖ and SPÖ.

But I get the impression that "Wien Anders" will probably hurt the Greens more than "working class" parties FPÖ/SPÖ, since its program seems more bobo/hipster than working-class to me. Am I right?

[Tender Branson]

Interesting. Until now, Austria has of course resisted the Western European trend of parties succesfully positioning themselves primarily as an alternative to the economic left of the social democrats (in a "working class" sense), which must be one of the reasons that the SPÖ hasn't yet become as electorally vulnerable as most social democratic parties in Western Europe. This lack of a real left-wing alternative to the SPÖ is probably also, to some extent, one of the reasons for the Austrian Greens' remarkable electoral strength. It seems logical that a party like Die Linke or the Dutch SP could gain ground in the country, and given that Vienna is pretty much a blue-collar city, it could do well there, taking votes from both FPÖ and SPÖ.

But I get the impression that "Wien Anders" will probably hurt the Greens more than "working class" parties FPÖ/SPÖ, since its program seems more bobo/hipster than working-class to me. Am I right?

Wien Anders will take votes from the SPÖ-Green government's voters and squeeze the SPÖ even further into a match with the FPÖ.

No potential FPÖ-voter will vote for them though, because their ideology is just on opposite ends.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Wait, what happened to the Turkish party?

The SPO really needs to roll Faymann

[DavidB.]

The SPO really needs to roll Faymann

The SPÖ needs to roll more than only Faymann, I think...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Mostly they could just do with a stint in opposition (nationally), even a fairly short one.

[DavidB.]

Mostly they could just do with a stint in opposition (nationally), even a fairly short one.

I don't know. Other parties becoming even more unpopular doesn't make the SPÖ's unpopularity go away, especially because I don't know if they have any leadership material that's better.

The only serious option for the SPÖ to go in opposition is a FPÖ-ÖVP coalition, and given the ÖVP's unpopularity and the FPÖ's electoral strength such a government would likely be a total trainwreck, even if it could be formed in the first place. The Austrian political system has a problem.

[Cranberry]

Mostly they could just do with a stint in opposition (nationally), even a fairly short one.

I don't know. Other parties becoming even more unpopular doesn't make the SPÖ's unpopularity go away, especially because I don't know if they have any leadership material that's better.

Short answer: they don't. Obviously they can't get much worse than Faymann (we're talking about the SPÖ though, so I'll probably redact that "obviously"... If there is one thing they know how to do right then it's to take the completely wrong choice), but that does not mean that they have so much better material. There was talk about Defense Minister Gerald Klug or the CEO of the national railways (ÖBB), Christian Kern, but both aren't exactly solid choices; the first one is quite unpopular in his resort and seems quite strange, or better, not quite charismatic; the latter hasn't been in politics for years.

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The thing is though, I don't really think that even if one of the government parties goes into opposition after the next elections because the other forms a coalition with the FPÖ, that said party can really "re-gain" its share of votes lost over the last years. If there is one thing that the Austrian voters are, than that is being sick of the SPÖ and ÖVP. The FPÖ will obviously implode in the trainwreck that's Strache's government, and it will probably drag its coaliton partner with it, but I don't really think that the people leaving the FPÖ will go straight back where they came from... We can't possibly know where they will go to, but if any at all, then just a small part will return to SPÖ/ÖVP. Maybe there'll be a new FPÖ-split. Maybe a completely different populist party. Team Stronach Vol. 2 (This time maybe Team Matteschitz or Team Lugner ()). We can't possibly know. But I wouldn't bet that SPÖ/ÖVP has so much to gain from it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't know. Other parties becoming even more unpopular doesn't make the SPÖ's unpopularity go away, especially because I don't know if they have any leadership material that's better.

Well no (they have a lot of long term work to do, though are theoretically in a better position on that front and their frenemies in the ÖVP), but the structurally strongest of a bunch of equally unpopular parties is always in the best position. The key point being equally unpopular.

But yes, Austrian politics is in a state of quiet crisis. Unpopular parties-of-power and a bunch of protest parties (most of which are manifestly unfit to run anything more complex than a cake shop. If that) and nothing else.

[Oak Hills]

"It would be about time now to draw a final line under the Holocaust."

52% Yes
24% No
19% Mixed/Neutral
  5% Undecided

What does "draw a final line under the Holocaust even mean?

[tpfkaw]

"It would be about time now to draw a final line under the Holocaust."

52% Yes
24% No
19% Mixed/Neutral
  5% Undecided

What does "draw a final line under the Holocaust even mean?

I assume that could be better translated as "put it behind us."

[Tender Branson]

Wait, what happened to the Turkish party?

Is still collecting signatures from voters ... 1800 are needed for a citywide candidacy.

"It would be about time now to draw a final line under the Holocaust."

52% Yes
24% No
19% Mixed/Neutral
  5% Undecided

What does "draw a final line under the Holocaust even mean?

I assume that could be better translated as "put it behind us."

That's correct.

[Tender Branson]

Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner calls in the Austrian army to help deal with the asylum crisis.

But not - as one with common sense might expect - to secure the border and round up illegals (like the constitution would demand), but to help erect even more tents and containers to house even more incoming asylum seekers and to help feed them.

http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/dossier/fluechtlinge/sn/artikel/fluechtlingshilfe-asyleinsatz-des-bundesheers-rueckt-naeher-161684

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...

It seems the SPÖVP government is deliberately ignoring the will of the Austrian population by not sending the army to the border to secure it.

According to the  terms of the Schengen agreement, the agreement can be temporarily suspended for 24 months if there's a "major crisis" facing a country or the Schengen zone as a whole. According to the EU commission, a "major crisis" would be a "massive influx of asylum seekers" - which is what's happening here right now.

Each day now there are reports of 50-200 asylum seekers crammed into tiny vans with 35°C outside and when a police car approaches, the people smugglers simply run away.

The asylum centers are overcrowded, with the men sleeping inside the complex in safety and the women and small children outside on the street, which can be dangerous during hailstorms.

Amnesty International visited the Traiskirchen camp last week and is about to release a damning report about the inhumane situation there today. Our government is not only reckless towards the Austrian population, they are also reckless towards the asylum seekers.

They are a truly disgusting, incompetent, help- and clueless bunch of politicians - far removed from the general population. But don't worry, they get their monthly 8.000€ and 12 weeks of annual paid vacation ... Time to wipe these parties out in the Upper Austria and Vienna state elections.

[MaxQue]

Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner calls in the Austrian army to help deal with the asylum crisis.

But not - as one with common sense might expect - to secure the border and round up illegals (like the constitution would demand), but to help erect even more tents and containers to house even more incoming asylum seekers and to help feed them.

http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/dossier/fluechtlinge/sn/artikel/fluechtlingshilfe-asyleinsatz-des-bundesheers-rueckt-naeher-161684

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...

It seems the SPÖVP government is deliberately ignoring the will of the Austrian population by not sending the army to the border to secure it.

According to the  terms of the Schengen agreement, the agreement can be temporarily suspended for 24 months if there's a "major crisis" facing a country or the Schengen zone as a whole. According to the EU commission, a "major crisis" would be a "massive influx of asylum seekers" - which is what's happening here right now.

Each day now there are reports of 50-200 asylum seekers crammed into tiny vans with 35°C outside and when a police car approaches, the people smugglers simply run away.

The asylum centers are overcrowded, with the men sleeping inside the complex in safety and the women and small children outside on the street, which can be dangerous during hailstorms.

Amnesty International visited the Traiskirchen camp last week and is about to release a damning report about the inhumane situation there today. Our government is not only reckless towards the Austrian population, they are also reckless towards the asylum seekers.

They are a truly disgusting, incompetent, help- and clueless bunch of politicians - far removed from the general population. But don't worry, they get their monthly 8.000€ and 12 weeks of annual paid vacation ... Time to wipe these parties out in the Upper Austria and Vienna state elections.

"I'm HC Strache and I endorse this message".

That's the only thing missing to that message.

[Tender Branson]

Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner calls in the Austrian army to help deal with the asylum crisis.

But not - as one with common sense might expect - to secure the border and round up illegals (like the constitution would demand), but to help erect even more tents and containers to house even more incoming asylum seekers and to help feed them.

http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/dossier/fluechtlinge/sn/artikel/fluechtlingshilfe-asyleinsatz-des-bundesheers-rueckt-naeher-161684

You must be logged in to read this quote.

...

It seems the SPÖVP government is deliberately ignoring the will of the Austrian population by not sending the army to the border to secure it.

According to the  terms of the Schengen agreement, the agreement can be temporarily suspended for 24 months if there's a "major crisis" facing a country or the Schengen zone as a whole. According to the EU commission, a "major crisis" would be a "massive influx of asylum seekers" - which is what's happening here right now.

Each day now there are reports of 50-200 asylum seekers crammed into tiny vans with 35°C outside and when a police car approaches, the people smugglers simply run away.

The asylum centers are overcrowded, with the men sleeping inside the complex in safety and the women and small children outside on the street, which can be dangerous during hailstorms.

Amnesty International visited the Traiskirchen camp last week and is about to release a damning report about the inhumane situation there today. Our government is not only reckless towards the Austrian population, they are also reckless towards the asylum seekers.

They are a truly disgusting, incompetent, help- and clueless bunch of politicians - far removed from the general population. But don't worry, they get their monthly 8.000€ and 12 weeks of annual paid vacation ... Time to wipe these parties out in the Upper Austria and Vienna state elections.

"I'm HC Strache and I endorse this message".

That's the only thing missing to that message.

I don't care if Strache endorses my post or not. The situation has become insane and the government cannot close their eyes forever. Even Amnesty International called the actions of our government a disaster today in their report:

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http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/amnesty-international-migrant-rights-austria-violated-33080040

...

This government has lost all its credibility and needs to be wiped away by the voters. They cannot handle the asylum crisis and because they are overburdened by this crisis, they are also losing sight of the main topics that need to be dealt with that Austrians care about: economic growth, debt reduction and jobs. Because the asylum crisis takes up 99% of the time of this horrendous government, there has not been a single jobs summit (despite the fact that there are now 150.000 more unemployed here than in 2008) or an economy summit (the government has managed to stall Austria's economy into stagnation, despite being ahead of the EU/Germany growth for years). Their "register of sin" is long and what is Faymann doing the whole day ? Smiling.

[Tender Branson]

So, the Vienna-SPÖ is out with their first poster campaign for the state election and it's basically a call to vote FPÖ. Or they might just switch the SPÖ logo and put up an FPÖ logo.

They managed to describe their own failures and even put them onto election posters !

Holy Sh*t. This party definitely wants to lose. And all the other parties are mocking them already for their posters ...



"Quality of Life - OK fine. But it doesn't matter if you cannot afford an apartment."



"What does it matter to live in the best city of the world if you have anxiety about the future ?"



"Vienna is the best city in the world. But what does it matter if you have no job ?"



"Vienna is just a cool city ! But without a place for an apprenticeship, it means exactly nothing for you."

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Lmao, what a cunning plan.

[Tender Branson]

Lmao, what a cunning plan.

Yes. FPÖ/Greens/NEOS don't need to do anything on their own, SPÖVP is doing the work for them - including printing the campaign posters for them (especially the ones for the FPÖ) ...

These posters are a classic own goal: An incumbent party that puts "anxiety about the future" into their campaign posters needs to be shot dead immediately.

In the next months, you are about to watch the death throes of Austrian Social Democracy and Christian Democracy ... (but especially the death of the first).

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I don't think the the SPOVP can really be killed off (unless the economy turns Greekwards). They have huge machines, local bases etc. (especially the Christians) and all the minor parties - the FPO, the Greens, NEOS, the populist ephemeral right-wingers and the KPO-linked "True Left"; are all left as too shallow and protesty to act as anything more than critics of the established order.

Still that is fycking dire plan from the Socialists.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Hey, it might even work. Voters are strange things.

[DavidB.]

What exactly is a "G'spür"?

[Tender Branson]

What exactly is a "G'spür"?

"G'spür" = Viennese-German for "Gespür"

In this context ("Für Wien brauchst a G'spür"), it means something like "For Vienna you need a good nose" or you can translate it with "grasp", "intuition", "flair", "a 6th sense", "a good sense", "understanding" or "comprehension".

It means the SPÖ thinks they "know their people" and what they want ...

[DavidB.]

What exactly is a "G'spür"?

"G'spür" = Viennese-German for "Gespür"

In this context ("Für Wien brauchst a G'spür"), it means something like "For Vienna you need a good nose" or you can translate it with "grasp", "intuition", "flair", "a 6th sense", "a good sense", "understanding" or "comprehension".

It means the SPÖ thinks they "know their people" and what they want ...

Political campaigning 101: if you're unpopular, don't campaign on people's feelings about your party...