Austrian Elections & Politics 3.0 - Parliamentary Election: Oct. 15

[ApatheticAustrian]

not necessarily, rob, there could be SPÖ voters who are voting for kern but not for the chaos which is the SPÖ vienna leadership battle.

and even with those amazingly bad numbers the spö would still crush the ÖVP aka getting a lot of votes against their coalition partner, which underlines, why the SPÖ is still leading the ÖVP clearly in every single one kurz-less poll.

and yeah, there is a big number of spö --> fpö voters but even more spö-friendly non-voters who can only be activated in very polarized elections.

anyway, even while i bleieve the fpö could easily become the stronged party in vienna, the difference between spö and fpö won't happen.

tomorrow is the vienna city spö political convention so the timing is quite ...convenient. if i would need to guess, this is just a gift for the right wing of the city SPÖ.

[Tender Branson]

New federal election poll (Research Affairs/Ö24, conducted April 26-27) shows the Greens falling to an all-time low for this decade of just 8% (and the poll was conducted before VdB's headscarves comment):



Funnily, the Greens gain one point in the Kurz-matchup ...



http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Umfrage-Gruene-auf-Talfahrt/280199219

3% for "other parties" in both matchups.

[Tender Branson]

Here's a non-biased English version of the recent Van der Bellen comments on headscarves, if anyone is interested:

Austria’s president suggested that every woman should wear a headscarf to fight Islamophobia

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/04/28/austrias-president-suggested-that-every-woman-should-wear-a-headscarf-to-fight-islamophobia

[Tender Branson]

The Vienna-SPÖ party convention has started.

Chancellor Kern speaking right now:

"The SPÖ has always been the party that helps lift up the ones who are down on the floor, while others are kicking them."

http://www.spoe.wien/livestream/

[Tender Branson]

The Vienna-SPÖ party convention has started.

Chancellor Kern speaking right now:

"The SPÖ has always been the party that helps lift up the ones who are down on the floor, while others are kicking them."

http://www.spoe.wien/livestream/

Mayor Häupl was re-elected with only 77% (!) of the SPÖ-delegates today, a record-low for the mayor. In 2015, he got 96% from the delegates.

His likely successor Ludwig (who favours co-operation with the FPÖ), did even worse - getting only 67% (!) as co-party leader.

This clearly shows that the internal divisions within the party continue, even though they tried to make the convention today look pretty smooth to the outside world.

http://derstandard.at/2000056769971/Haeupl-Fuehle-mich-weder-als-Landeskaiser-noch-als-Erbhofbauer

[Tender Branson]

April is now over, time for the May poll.

Plz vote on top of the page.

April Poll: Do you support or oppose the expulsion of the Young Greens from the Austrian Green Party ?

45.5% Support (10 votes)
54.5% Oppose (12 votes)

March poll: How would you have voted in the 1986 Presidential election ?

66.7% Kurt Steyrer (SPÖ) - (16 votes)
33.3% Kurt Waldheim (ÖVP) - (8 votes)

February poll: Do you support or oppose the introduction of a religion-neutral public full-face veil ban, with an initial fine of 150€ ?

53.8% Yes (21 votes)
46.2% No (18 votes)

January Poll: Will the SPÖVP coalition last until 2018 ?

75.9% Yes (22 votes)
24.1% No (7 votes)

[Tender Branson]

May Poll:

"Today is May Day/International Workers Day and the Vienna-SPÖ is in deep internal trouble. Who do you support as Vienna mayor Häupl's successor once he steps down ?"

* Michael Ludwig (from the right-wing of the party, favours FPÖ co-operation)



* Doris Bures (Häupl-critical, Faymann friend and current President of the Austrian Parliament)



* Ulli Sima (a compromise candidate with no real enemies within the party who could re-unite both wings)



* Renate Brauner (close Häupl associate)



* Jürgen Czernohorszky (pro-Häupl, Vienna city councillor for education, integration and youth)

[Tender Branson]

Some pictures from the SPÖ's May Day parade and speeches today:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sozialdemokratie

Meanwhile, the FPÖ and Strache sharply attacked Chancellor Kern ("people smuggler in chief"), Vienna-mayor Häupl ("loser") and President Van der Bellen ("Apologize to Austrians for your comments and step down.") at their own May 1 event.

[Tender Branson]

Meanwhile, Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) spends May Day ... campaigning in ... Libya:



https://kurier.at/politik/ausland/aussenminister-sebastian-kurz-zu-unangekuendigtem-besuch-in-libyen-gelandet/261.409.550

Kurz arrived in Libya today for an unannounced visit (because of security reasons).

He'll meet with the internationally-recognized Libyan government and their PM.

The Libya visit is very important to Kurz politically-speaking: Kurz also has a big Austrian economic delegation with him, ranging from representatives of oil companies (OMV), to healthcare (Vamed) and beverages (Rauch). Until recently, Kurz had sky-high approval ratings for his positions on foreign policy (EU, terror, migration, Brexit etc.) - but was seen lacking economic power. It seems he's now trying to establish links within the powerful Austrian economic circles by taking a whole delegation with him to Libya for gaining access to new markets.

Also: Kurz previously said that it would be best to establish migrant centres in Libya, to prevent African migrants setting over to Italy via boats. This would not only cut down the number of migrants arriving here, but it would also take the wind out of the sails of reckless people smugglers and in effect would save thousands of lives. The centers would also establish a legal way for potential African migrants to file for asylum there. He also said that NGOs should take rescued migrants immediately back to Libya, instead of sending them to Italy 400 miles away, because the rescue operations to Italy instead of Libya plays into the hands of the people smugglers.

[Tender Branson]

More signs of an ongoing election campaign:

The ÖVP attacks Kern as a Communist in a 58-page "manifest".

The first page is listing 10 major "bans", similar to the 10 commandments, that Kern wants to impose on the Austrian middle-class, companies and the state.



http://derstandard.at/2000056846957/OeVP-warnt-mit-Broschuere-im-Sowjet-Stil-vor-Rot-Gruen

[Tender Branson]

Chancellor Kern responds ... by updating his official Facebook profile with the Communist attack picture from the ÖVP:



https://futurezone.at/digital-life/nach-attacke-kern-verwendet-oevp-sujet-als-profilbild/261.621.118

[Tender Branson]

Reaction from the FPÖ's Kickl about today's fight between ÖVP and SPÖ:

"Better a miserable end than endless misery. The coalition climate between them is already so bad that not even a couple therapist could mend their poisoned relationship."

In other words: The FPÖ wants SPÖVP to call it quits and prefers early elections.

http://orf.at/stories/2389685/2389693

[Tender Branson]

Chancellor Kern fully playing offense now with a new 6 minute long video he released in the past hour, after the ÖVP's "Communism" attack earlier today (see above).

Kern is speaking directly to the voters in his office next to the Austrian flag, which is very rare for a Chancellor* ("The ÖVP has decided today that it is best for them to attack me as a Communist, but I rather want to address and solve the real problems facing you").

https://www.facebook.com/bundeskanzler.christian.kern/videos/797290300426281

* usually, both the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor are speaking to the press jointly

[DavidB.]

Hol' up, Austria. If we have all elections this year, the coming three years will be incredibly boring.

[TheSaint250]

Hol' up, Austria. If we have all elections this year, the coming three years will be incredibly boring.

We'd still have Italy.

[Tender Branson]

Yeah, we'll see what happens ...

Anyway, the ÖVP-attack yesterday against Kern ("he's a filthy Communist") massively backfired and for example the Vorarlberg-ÖVP said they are not happy with the brochure that attacks Kern and will not hand it out to their party members. There are also critical voices from within the Upper Austria ÖVP. Also, the comments in newspapers have been devastating for the ÖVP.

Actually, this Commie brochure made me more likely to vote for Kern and the SPÖ in the next election, not less. I'm currently undecided about voting for the SPÖ, the Greens or even casting a protest vote for NEOS (even though I don't agree on their policies). I once even considered voting for the Kurz-ÖVP briefly, but with their recent actions they will never get my vote. The Greens have already received my vote twice last year (2x VdB), so I might give the SPÖ a chance this or next year. Kern's not all too bad.

[mvd10]

Well, the poster made me like the ÖVP more but young male libertarian-ish right-wingers aren't going to get you a majority in Austria I'm afraid .

How does the ÖVP compare to other Christian democratic parties in Europe?

[Tender Branson]

The Greens have found a new all-important problem that needs to be solved:

Austrian Greens teach women to pee standing up

 A local section of the Green Party in Lower Austria has invited women to a breakfast meeting where they will learn how to pee standing up.

The Green Party in Perchtoldsdorf, Lower Austria, have been quietly organizing “women’s breakfasts” for 12 years to discuss political and social themes of the day.

And for 12 years the events passed without causing more than a ripple. But the event scheduled for May 6th is set to be different. The theme is apparently so provocative, it has even made headlines in neighbouring Germany.

In a discussion on “everything that concerns the pelvic base”, women who attend the meeting are set to discuss how to pee standing up while partying at a festival, during sport, or while in care.

An expert on female pelvic exercises will be in attendance and there will also be a practical component, with attendees building their own one-use-only peeing devices.

The discussion has led to much mockery on Austrian social media, with one user saying “doing it at breakfast does make sense - coffee pushes everything through.”

But women have also come to the defence of the Green Party, with one saying “only a man who has never been on a completely piss-covered women’s toilet can’t see the necessity of such a lesson.”

Local councillor Martha Günzl told Der Westen in Germany that she had been surprised by the reaction.

“We always discuss controversial subjects, but because we are just a local group nobody has ever shown any interest up until now,” she said.

https://www.thelocal.at/20170503/austria-green-party-teach-women-pee-standing-up

[ApatheticAustrian]

How does the ÖVP compare to other Christian democratic parties in Europe?

regarding values/positions?

one of the more social-conservative parties in western europe and "pro biz" ....but surely not libertarianish in any ways.

[Tender Branson]

"Comrade Kern" has become so popular over the past 24 hours that the SPÖ is now handing out free T-shirts:

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

More signs of an ongoing election campaign:

The ÖVP attacks Kern as a Communist in a 58-page "manifest".

The first page is listing 10 major "bans", similar to the 10 commandments, that Kern wants to impose on the Austrian middle-class, companies and the state.



http://derstandard.at/2000056846957/OeVP-warnt-mit-Broschuere-im-Sowjet-Stil-vor-Rot-Gruen

what are the bans? Are they suggesting he will start putting people in gulags?

[MAINEiac4434]

Hol' up, Austria. If we have all elections this year, the coming three years will be incredibly boring.

Right? But we'd have Canada in 2019 and a handful of the nordics too.

[Lord Halifax]

Hol' up, Austria. If we have all elections this year, the coming three years will be incredibly boring.

Right? But we'd have Canada in 2019 and a handful of the nordics too.

Sweden is in 2018

[Tender Branson]

So, both Chancellor Kern (SPÖ) and Foreign Minister Kurz (ÖVP) showed up yesterday at the office opening party of one of Austria's best startups, RUNTASTIC.





https://futurezone.at/thema/start-ups/runtastic-kurz-und-kern-matchen-sich-um-bueroeroeffnung/261.826.862

http://www.nachrichten.at/nachrichten/thema/Runtastic-feiert-neues-Buero-und-110-Millionen-Nutzer;art180211,2557132

I fully understand that the Chancellor, who has long advocated for more startups in Austria, would show up there. But why is the Foreign Minister showing up there ? Ah yeah, because Kurz lacks economic competence and new elections are imminent ...

Also: Kern's economic background and business ties, support for startups like Runtastic and small businesses in general makes the recent ÖVP-attack against him ("Commie Kern") even more ridiculous.

[Tender Branson]

President Van der Bellen calls his headscarves comments a "mistake" and "badly worded". But he didn't apologize for them and said "his intent was only to show that women can and should be able to dress how they want and that includes the headscarf".

He also said he understands that "women in other countries might hate it to be forced to wear a headscarf, but that doesn't mean the answer here should be to ban it."

It's better to "step up the preventive integration measures within Muslim immigrant communities, talk with the parents etc. and convince them that it's not to the benefit of the young girls to wear a headscarf, especially when they leave school and try to enter the labour force - being discriminated against others at job interviews."

http://derstandard.at/2000056997788/Van-der-Bellen-zu-Kopftuch-Sager-Ja-es-war-ein