Austrian Elections & Politics - Version 1.0

[Cranberry]

But you also have to say that FPÖ voters are normally protest-voters. They don't just not vote because they can't vote for an EU-exit, but also because they just don't bother voting. Most of them just vote at federal level, because they think just that affects them. The EU-level simply doesn't bother them.

[Cranberry]

I'm living in Tyrol. Where are you from?

[Cranberry]

That's... Actually not bad for the ÖVP... I wouldn't have given them more than, let's say, 35%. After all that's Upper Austria and not Eastern Tyrol or the Waldviertel
Good to see also that the FPÖ isn't doing as well as they do in other polls. I would have given them more, as they did especially well in the Innviertel.
22% for the SPÖ in an heavily industrialised and urbanised area - they will have work to do, if they want to remain a major party.

[Cranberry]

They did? I didn't know that, thank you. I wouldn't have guessed that the SPÖ would agree to that, but as you say...
I don't think they will be doing it in the next time, not after such a poll.
However, this issue isn't very important, so maybe not much will change now.

[Cranberry]

Just shows some Austrians are too dumb to receive electoral rights ^^
Of course, ÖVP and SPÖ could have saved lots of money for the tax payers, if such a process would have started earlier.
What I find unfair is that, at least I read it so in the newspapers, Carinthia doesn't have to pay anything, even though they have a fond of money from the Hypo-sell.

[Cranberry]

The 34% who blame Faymann/Spindelegger sure are the remaining FPÖ voters

[Cranberry]

I like it that NEOS were stronger than the FPÖ. It's always good to see the FPÖ on the 5th place, hehe.

However, I have a question for you, Tender: Other than Salzburg City, besides of few expections, the most red municipalities are in the inner-mountainous areas of the Pinzgau and Pongau. In Tyrol, the most alpine areas are the most black, while the most flat areas are more red. Why is it the other way round in Salzburg?

[Cranberry]

Oh my god, no.
I'm now seriously considering leaving Austria after the next elections, and never come back again -.-

[Cranberry]

Yes, but 5% better than the SPÖ?
And that even though the FPÖ is the main reason for the whole HYPO thing?
I think too much Austrians are really too dumb to vote.

[Cranberry]

This must be embarrassing for Spindi, as well as the ÖVP as a whole.
Just shows again that the ÖVP is a dying party, outside of the local level.

[Cranberry]

Yes, but 5% better than the SPÖ?
And that even though the FPÖ is the main reason for the whole HYPO thing?
I think too much Austrians are really too dumb to vote.

How is calling Austrian voters "dumb" going to help you win them back to your side?

It won't, I've given up on that front. You would have too, if you were an Austrian.

Hahaha ^^ You're so right, Tender.

[Cranberry]

NEOS stronger than the Grüne, and FPÖ even stronger then in the last polls?
I think it would be better for my mood not to look at polls anymore -.-

[Cranberry]

So we could have our first black-pink government. Or is there still Proporz in Vorarlberg?

[Cranberry]

So we could have our first black-pink government.

Does OVP prefer NEOS to FPO?

Also, what's the polling on who's voting NEOS? People who usually vote OVP, FPO, those who generally don't vote?

Oh yes! The FPÖ isn't a right-wing party similar to Republicans, it's a far right populist, xenophobic, anti-EU party. NEOS are actually a younger, more socially liberal, more pro-market, less catholic variant of the ÖVP.

The typical NEOS voter is a young, educated urban person, is an entrepreneur, or a more liberal (in European sense of the term) student. So actually, it's relatively similar to the Green and ÖVP urban voter base. That's why those two parties in particular don't like the NEOS, but once they're established, most likely the ÖVP will choose the policy-similar NEOS over every other party.

The FPÖ voter is an uneducated, young, unsatisfied male. Their parents were the typical SPÖ voters, but they themselves are unsatisfied with the current political and economical situation, and the FPÖ uses this anger of these people to gain votes.

So to sum up, the NEOS voter is about the opposite of the FPÖ voter. The NEOS voter is most similar to a Green and an urban/upper class ÖVP voter (rural ÖVP-voters are another issue); while the FPÖ voter is most similar to the SPÖ voter.

So we could have our first black-pink government. Or is there still Proporz in Vorarlberg?

Nope, V+T+S are all Proporz-free ...

Proves that Western Austrians are smarter than Easterners

[Cranberry]

The weakness of the SPÖ derives also from its bad image in the western states. In Vorarlberg, and also in Tirol, the other western state; the SPÖ is perceived as the party of Vienna, of Kreisky, Zilk and Häupl, and not one of this gentlemen is particularly liked here in the west. The ÖVP however could always perceive itself as a true "country's party" that doesn't just do what Vienna wants (they did of course, but were good at hiding it). 

[Cranberry]

So, with the HYPO law presented and the bad-bank starting in the fall and a bipartisan SPÖVP-commission established that will try to find out ways how to implement tax cuts in 2015 or 2016, we are now officially entering the "summer hole" during which nothing interesting happens here politically ...

Probaby better so... Because of the world cup, the Krone would have had no time to report of what would go on

[Cranberry]

I'm with you on this, Tender. That's just nationalistic propaganda what Erdogan is doing there, and to fish votes. I'm sorry, but if he doesn't want the Turks to integrate, he should bring them back to Turkey - easy solution. I don't have anything whatsoever against immigrants, and it know that Austria needs them, and I'm in favour of everyone who wants to come here and live in our country. But that is not a successful integration going on there, and I can't be in favour of this...

[Cranberry]

Seriously,
Why not simply making a coalition with FPO?

I mean, every Austrian would see how they are terrible, so they would lose big. (see Wilders)

Would you want Le Pen in the government?
And as Tender said - 2000-2007 was horrible, and the FPÖ is back at 20%+, just because they are very good on blaming others (SPÖ-ÖVP) for the things they did (HYPO).

[Cranberry]

We all know that this is a decision aimed only at appeasing the general public while the government and police will obviously still keep on doing it secretly because, well, sometimes it really has to. Right ?

Well, I wouldn't think so. The VfGH normally is independent, and usually the government has to do what they say. At least that's how it appears to me.

[Cranberry]

Change of Parliamentary Investigation Committees (U-Ausschuss) to come:

Kleine Zeitung: U-Ausschuss wird Minderheitenrecht (Article in German)

U-Ausschüsse have been a point of litigation between the opposition and the SPÖÖVP-Government lately, mainly because of the HYPO-causa. The opposition wanted to install a U-Ausschuss (parliamentary investigation committee) to investigate the dubious hypo-on goings, yet a majority is needed to call such an U-Ausschuss. Apparently, the leaders of SPÖ and ÖVP came to an agreement with FPÖ, Grüne and NEOS. U-Ausschüsse may now be called by a quarter of the MPs. Furthermore, one of the three Nationalratspräsidenten has to be the chairman of the U-Ausschuss, but can be replaced if wished by him by a normal MP. The new order is supported by every party but the TS, and shall come in fall.

[Cranberry]

I suppose I really meant whether the SPÖ would do worse on the federal/state chamber levels.

I wouldn't think so. NEOS and SPÖ aren't similar parties, both in terms of platform and in terms of voter constituency. Greens and ÖVP would profit from a dissapearal of the NEOS, but the SPÖ would not really profit or do worse. They still would be the strongest party, I'd say, yet the gap between ÖVP and SPÖ would be smaller.

[Cranberry]

Oh my god! This is just amazing! This part just ends 30 kilometres too far in the west, for my taste

The 1999 election really was a bit irregular for Austrian elections, to say so. Even just in Vorarlberg there are just so many special things to see - the FPÖ winning the whole district of Dornbirn (of course that's its stronghold in Vorarlberg, but nevertheless), being vey strong in some towns along the Bodensee (I can't explain the really strong performaance in Fußach - there are no major factories in that village, it's more agricultural)
Very interesting is also the FPÖ strength in the Montafon, the valley in the Southwest, and the SPÖ strength around Bludenz.

[Cranberry]

Yeah, I would have never thought that the SPÖ would win any town in Vorarlberg

[Cranberry]

Aren't those two districts the epitome of the Austrian workers constituency and their electoral behavior? So this basically just shows the immense shift towards the FPÖ from the workers constituency.

[Cranberry]

That and the fact that people outside Austria have actually heard of Vienna. Probably most people from elsewhere in Europe think that Salzburg is Austria's second largest city...

True. Most foreign people probably know Salzburg best, followed by Innsbruck (older people, because of the Olympics).

In fact, Graz is the 2nd largest city though. Linz is probably not well known either.

They have heard of Innsbruck because it is by far the best and most beautiful Austrian city