1959 General Election - Austrian Election Series

[Cranberry]

The first election of the newly sovereign Austria, the election of 1956, shook up the political establishment of the republic. The VdU, its past nazi-clientel having left the party for the FPÖ, defied all odds and, with a new, liberal outlook, was even able to beat both ÖVP and SPÖ for the first place. Especially the former party lost heavily and got mere twenty percent of the vote, while the KPÖ could hold their electorate, and the new FPÖ received around eight percent. Following the election, VdU leader Herbert Kraus proposed the possibility of a government to the new ÖVP leader Alfons Gorbach, who readily agreed, forming Austria's first government of the center-right. The SPÖ, KPÖ and FPÖ returned to opposition. 

The main test for the new government occured soon after the elections in autumn 1956, when the Soviet army invaded neighbouring Hungary. Austria hosted many refugees from Hungary, especially in the Burgenland, however, no cross-border incidents were reported. The country maintained its new "ever-lasting" neutrality.

The government elsewise oversaw again economic upturn and development, and its turn ended in 1959 without any further noteworthy occurances.

VdU:
Chancellor Kraus' VdU campaigns on the economic upturn, which he claims has been supported by the government's prudent choices. The party especially carters to the middle-class in more urbanized areas, by offering many pro-market liberal policies and strong anticommunism.

SPÖ:
The main opposition party SPÖ attacks the government from the left, demanding further expansions of the social state, especially of pensions. They state the economic success should be noticable for all social classes, not just the rich, as still many Austrians, mainly in rural areas, live in poverty, which is their main talking point this election.

ÖVP:
After historic losses, the ÖVP have exchanged their old leader Raab for the Stryian Alfons Gorbach, and have begun to change the face of the party to a more agrarian, very faith-based choice for farmers in rural areas, as the urban base of the party, liberal members of the middle class, have left the party for
the VdU.

KPÖ:
Following the Hungarian Revolution, the KPÖ finally broke with Soviet-style communism, a choice supported by most of its members that were desillusionised with the USSR. Following the path of Italy's Communist Party, they call for social reforms and an eventual, gradual end to capitalism, while moderating most of their positions, in order to evade being seen as too much of a threat.

FPÖ:
The FPÖ changed little, still providing the same choice for nationalists and old nazis, calling out for massive anti-communism but little else.

3 days

[Zioneer]

The KPO is just looking better and better these days.

[Mr. Smith]

KPOe diesmal.

Because SPOe I've voted for and it's just been centre-right after centre-right...clearly they're not doing enough.

[PPT Spiral]

VdU, of course.

[H. Ross Peron]

SPO as usual

[Dr. Cynic]

SPO

[Goldwater]

VdU, of course.

[Brewer]

SPO

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

VdU, of course.

[Cranberry]

Those results look crazy

[Zioneer]

So we go from anti-communist businessmen types to communists and vague social democrats? Sounds legit.

[Cranberry]

So we go from anti-communist businessmen types to communists and vague social democrats? Sounds legit.

As long as the FPÖ doesn't get into parliament, everything is fine for me

[Zioneer]

Looks like a last-minute VdU surge just happened. Ah well, we lefties tried.

[Türkisblau]

Switched to ÖVP following the new developments.

[Cranberry]

Looks like a last-minute VdU surge just happened. Ah well, we lefties tried.

There are still one and a half days left to vote, so I wouldn't rule anything out now.

I also want to take this opportunity to say a big loud "thank you" for all of you who have been involved in here since the beginning. It is the greatest pleasure creating such an election series when so many of you are so actively following it. Thank you!

[Zioneer]

So far in the poll, it looks like the VdU and ÖVP got 27 votes combined, while the SPÖ and KPÖ got 25, with the FPÖ getting two (and unlikely to be in anyone's coalition). So if I'm understanding the parliamentary system correctly, it's a close victory for the center-right coalition?

[Cranberry]

So far in the poll, it looks like the VdU and ÖVP got 27 votes combined, while the SPÖ and KPÖ got 25, with the FPÖ getting two (and unlikely to be in anyone's coalition). So if I'm understanding the parliamentary system correctly, it's a close victory for the center-right coalition?

Yes, so far it is. In fact, because the FPÖ has a result of lower than four percent right now, it wouldn't even come into parliament, resulting into their 3-4 mandates being redistributed between the other parties. The calculation (D'Hondt) is far too complicated for me though, so I let it run through an online calculator

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

It seems that early posters in this poll always prefer the communists, who are then drowned out in a sudden sea of rightists.

My personal theory is CIA ballot stuffing.

[Cranberry]

Voting is now closed, thank you for your participation!