1983 General Election - Austrian Election Series

[Cranberry]

The Waldheim affair took its toll on the LKP, but contrary to many pundits' expectations, Waldheim managed to keep the second place, way ahead of Mock's new list and the other parties of the right. The KPÖ scored in the first place for the first time ever, and combined the leftist KPÖ-SPÖ coalition gained 13 PMs, though was narrowly denied a majority. However, with the right split between pro- and anti-Waldheim forces, KPÖ leader Johanna Dohnal was able to form a minority government with the SPÖ, relying on the support of CSP or VL PMs. Austria’s first female chancellor was inaugurated in April 1979.

The government soon tackled reforms directed towards the left’s core constituency, the Austrian workers. The workweek was reduced to 40 hours in 1980, yearly paid holiday increased to 5 weeks and additional monthly wages at Christmas and for the summer holidays were launched, the so-called “thirteenth and fourteenth wage”. The LKP, FPÖ and VL vehemently opposed the programs, but abstention from the fifteen CSP MPs led to a narrow passage of the so-called “Dohnal package”.

The government’s second round of legislative novella dealt with the country’s energy policy. In wake of the oil crisis and Austria’s apparent energy dependence on foreign powers and their fossil fuels, the government proposed to build a nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf, Lower Austria. The proposal was met with ambiguous reactions from the populace, but due a number of self-styled “green” groups and a large number of Austrians voicing opposition to the project, Chancellor Dohnal decided to put the issue on a referendum, held alongside the regular federal elections of 1983.

Meanwhile, on party politics level, the Mock-led LKP splinter formally organized as a party in 1980, giving itsself the name Neue Volkspartei (New People's Party, NVP), referring to the old ÖVP of which the new party saw itsself as successor.

September 1983 thus saw the Austrian people flock to the polls for two occasions, the election of a new government and a referendum. The official question for the referendum was as follows: “Should the government erect and operate a nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf?”

KPÖ
The KPÖ under Austria's first female Chancellor, Johanna Dohnal, is championing the "cause of the workers", campaigning extensively on their reforms in government. Contrary to the mainstream in Europe and America, they fight for an Austria that is successful without "dangerous experiments profiting noone but investmemt bankers and stock brokers".

SPÖ
With the coalition parterns having officially entered a political alliance, the Linkes Bündnis (Left Alliance), the SPÖ is campaigning alongside the KPÖ, emphasising the government's reforms, and attacking the LKP and especially their leader Kurt Waldheim, claiming his international reputation would make him a disgrace for Austria as Chancellor.


LKP
To the amazement of many, Waldheim managed to be reelected as party leader after a disastrous defeat, thus, prolonging the schism on the Austrian right. The LKP's talking points for this election are mainly evolving around opposition to the government's policies, claiming they would hurt the Austrian economy, and they propose on their own tax cuts for top earners, which would be payed for by privatizations of a portion of Austria's large share of government-owned companies.

NVP
Alois Mock's NVP is a new party, yet their programme is an old one, in the mould of the ÖVP of the 50ies and 60ies. They run in opposition more to Waldheim than the government, trying to keep their newly-won voter pool, but join the LKP in opposition to the government's policies.

CSP:
The CSP, now led by Tyrol governor Eduard Wallnöfer, have returned more to the centre of the political scene, emphasising again more on "agrarian populism". Different to the other opposition parties, they are silent about the government's reforms, knowing that they are very popular in their stronghold of Tyrol. They revolve their campaign mostly in opposition to nuclear power, and on advocating for an increase in farm subsidies especially for smaller mountain farmers.

FPÖ:
The FPÖ is running neither a pro- nor a contra-Waldheim stance, trying to keep themselves open as an option for both major right-of-centre parties in case they could form government. They are running a mostly anti-communist, anti-government campaign.

Parties stances on the referendum:
YES: KPÖ, SPÖ, FPÖ
NO: LKP, NVP, CSP

3 days

[Goldwater]

NVP and YES

[Zioneer]

KPO and YES.

[Murica!]

KPO and YES.

[Dr. Cynic]

SPO and YES

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

KPO and abstain.

[VPH]

CSP and NO

[H. Ross Peron]

SPO and YES

[Arturo Belano]

KPO and YES.

[Mr. Smith]

SPOe,...but No.

[Boston Bread]

Why is FPÖ so popular now?

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Why is FPÖ so popular now?

i assume it's attracting all the weirdo nazis who voted for waldheim before

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

NVP and YES, although hopefully the power plant will be privatized in the future.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

So is NVP just a generic centrist party?  Who are they trying to appeal to?

[Zioneer]

So is NVP just a generic centrist party?  Who are they trying to appeal to?

LKP voters who are not literal Nazis.

The FPO seems to have the literal Nazis actually voting for them this time.

[Goldwater]

So is NVP just a generic centrist party?  Who are they trying to appeal to?

LKP voters who are not literal Nazis.

The FPO seems to have the literal Nazis actually voting for them this time.

Doesn't change the fact that Waldheim is a Nazi.

[Zioneer]

So is NVP just a generic centrist party?  Who are they trying to appeal to?

LKP voters who are not literal Nazis.

The FPO seems to have the literal Nazis actually voting for them this time.

Doesn't change the fact that Waldheim is a Nazi.

Then why are people voting for either? Why not CSP or NVP?

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

there's a problem with this setup, btw. some people have voted for two parties rather than one party and a referendum result

[Cranberry]

there's a problem with this setup, btw. some people have voted for two parties rather than one party and a referendum result

Yes, that's a bit problematic. Didn't think of that before.

Wow, that FPÖ swing...

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

So is NVP just a generic centrist party?  Who are they trying to appeal to?

LKP voters who are not literal Nazis.

LKP voters upset with Waldheim could vote FPO. 

[Zioneer]

there's a problem with this setup, btw. some people have voted for two parties rather than one party and a referendum result

That means either people didn't read the instructions, or people are deliberately cheating this election game. If it's the latter, that's just sad.

[bmw1503]

NVP and YES.

To be fair to the FPÖ voters, wouldn´t the FPÖ in this timeline have a much more moderate voter base than it did in real life? Norbert Steger was known as a liberal, and I suspect the more hard-core German-nationalists in this universe would be drawn towards ex-Nazi Waldheim's party, the LKP.

[Zioneer]

Whoever wins, they'll have an interesting coalition...

[Cranberry]

Thank you for your participation, voting is now closed.