Austrian Elections & Politics 4.0

[Tender Branson]

A Chechen family of 6, who came to the country and applied for asylum in 2011 (but was rejected in 2015), has "disappeared" today from their apartment. Their lawyer has no further information on their status. Their case has been mentioned in the media several times over the last days, because the Greens and several human rights organisations have argued for them to remain in the country in a big "outcry".

It is likely that federal deportation forces have picked them up in the morning after a deportation request was issued by the FPÖ-held Interior Ministry and that they have been brought to the Vienna airport for deportation. They could already be in Russia by now.

The FPÖ-held Interior Ministry is also getting serious about deporting young, recent immigrants who are in training or already in work, because the FPÖ thinks that once they are integrated through work, they will never leave the country again.

https://derstandard.at/2000072672614/Familie-aus-Rueckkehrzentrum-verlegt-zeitnahe-Abschiebung-wahrscheinlich

But good to see that deportations are now apparently being increased and it's the extreme leftists who are crying and bytching around if something's not going their way ...

That family was officially deported back to Russia today by plane. In total, 35 people were deported to Russia today, mostly Chechens (incl. 4 from Germany).

https://volksblatt.at/31-fluechtlinge-per-charterflug-nach-russland-abgeschoben

[Tender Branson]

The BZÖ is running again in the March 4 state election in Carinthia.

They have collected the necessary 400 signatures to be on the ballot.

http://www.kleinezeitung.at/kaernten/landespolitik/landtagswahl/5359591/Ueberraschend_BZOe-tritt-bei-Landtagswahl-wieder-kaerntenweit-an

LOL !

[Tender Branson]

A few days before the important Lower Austria state election, the FPÖ's frontrunner there is in huge trouble:

(text)

Strache/FPÖ are brushing this story aside with just a few days to go until the state election:

http://noe.orf.at/news/stories/2891324

Landbauer is even out with new campaign posters, reading:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Meanwhile the state prosecution office is looking into the matter because the right/Nazi fraternity very likely violated the anti-Nazi laws.

[Tender Branson]

The Landbauer/FPÖ/Nazi-songbook story continues to dominate the news today:

The far-right fraternity has suspended a person responsible for creating the Nazi songbook, while the state prosecution office has confiscated 19 songbooks at their headquarters today in a raid.

Interesting that Landbauer, who was Vice-President of this fraternity just until a few days ago, was apparently not aware of these books in their headquarter ...

Interior Minister Kickl also caused outrage, because he said that Landbauer would not be subject of an investigation, which is something where Kickl has no power to decide what's going to happen or not (the courts and prosecutors will have to deal with that).

https://derstandard.at/2000072972358/Verantwortlicher-fuer-NS-Liederbuch-identifiziert-und-suspendiert

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Today, there was also news that there was a break-in into Vice-Chancellor & FPÖ-leader Strache's office in Vienna. Aides saw a man running down a staircase, while police later found concealed microphones/bugs behind a mirror to spy on Strache.

https://derstandard.at/2000073002975/Einbruch-und-Wanzenfund-in-Buero-von-Vizekanzler-Strache

It is unclear who's behind it, or if the bugs were planted by FPÖ-people themselves to distract from the Landbauer/Nazi fraternity story with just 3 days until the important Lower Austria state election.

[Tender Branson]

President VdB (Greens) has strongly attacked Landbauer/FPÖ today, saying "for sure he knew something about the songbooks" and that "the content of the songs are a disgrace that warrant a full investigation by the court system".

He also implied that Landbauer should step down (which he should IMO, preferably in the next 2 days).

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Also, tomorrow the Far-Right Academics Ball will take place in Vienna and in recent years there have always been thousands of left-wing counterprotesters who were protesting mostly peacefully, but also imported German "black-block" elements who destroyed the inner city of Vienna.

With the controversy continuing, it's very likely that there'll be 50.000-100.000 protesters tomorrow and some 3.000-5.000 police.

https://derstandard.at/2000073016151/Riesensperrzone-rund-um-den-Akademikerball-in-Wien

[DavidB.]

Landbauer obviously knows all these texts by heart. He was the vice president. These texts are unacceptable and say a lot about the values of this fraternity and this person. Unfortunate and very telling to see that the FPÖ largely continue to support Landbauer, though secretary-general Harald Vilimsky disavowed the texts. Also interesting that Kickl isn't such a fan of an independent judiciary, but imo the texts do not warrant prosecution as they were not meant to be public.

[Tender Branson]

Landbauer obviously knows all these texts by heart. He was the vice president. These texts are unacceptable and say a lot about the values of this fraternity and this person. Unfortunate and very telling to see that the FPÖ continue to support Landbauer. Also interesting that Kickl isn't such a fan of an independent judiciary, but imo the texts do not warrant prosecution as they were not meant to be public.

Under the anti-Nazi laws, these texts/songs are definitely subject to a criminal investigation (which is what's happening now).

Also, Landbauer himself promoted a heavily racist pocketbook back in 2010/11 - so it can be assumed that he knew of the disgusting Holocaust/anti-Blacks/war crime songtexts as well.

It seems also likely that Landbauer (if he doesn't step down over the next days) will end up in court because of it. And it's also likely that the Lower Austria ÖVP will pick some other party than the FPÖ as coalition partner after the Sunday election.

Plus: Austrian FPÖ-leader Strache (himself a member of the far-right Vandalia fraternity) was invited as a guest and honoured for "brotherhood" by the Germania fraternity in June 2017.

And in 2008, the Germania fraternity hosted a "party" and dressed up as KKK:

https://derstandard.at/2000073027606/NS-Liederbuch-Affaere-Strache-war-Gast-bei-Germania-zu-Wiener

[windjammer]

I mean, the FPÖ was founded by neonazis. What were you expecting?

[Tender Branson]

Slight correction:

I mean, the FPÖ was founded by neoNazis. What were you expecting?

[Tender Branson]

Today was the filing deadline for the March 4 Carinthia state election.

10 parties have filed their candidacy (+ 2013 results):

* SPÖ (37.1%)
* FPÖ (16.9%)
* ÖVP (14.4%)
* Greens (12.1%)
* Team Carinthia (= ex-Team Stronach, 11.2%)
* BZÖ (they are trying again, LOL - 6.4%)
* NEOS (new)
* Responsibility Earth (a new ecological party, but not a Green splinter)
* F.A.I.R (a Green splinter)
* KPÖ (Communists, on the ballot in 3/4 electoral districts)

The Pirate Party (1% in 2013) is not running anymore.

The current coalition in Carinthia is SPÖ-ÖVP-Greens.

[Tender Branson]

108.632 absentee ballots have been issued for the Sunday state election in Lower Austria.

That is a bit more than for the 2013 state election (7.84% vs. 7.16% of eligible voters have requested one).

In 3 of the 4 state elections this year, the absentee ballots will already be counted on Sunday evening together with the precinct votes. Only Carinthia will count them on Monday after the election, as it is the case for federal elections.

http://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/noe-wahl-108-632-wahlkarten-ausgestellt-landtag-landtagswahl-2018-wahlkarten/75.329.835

[Tender Branson]

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) is slowly being eliminated from the political system ...

For the first time since WW1 (= 1918), the KPÖ is not competing in a Lower Austria state election (the state with the most eligible voters).

In the Tyrol state election next month, they are also not on the ballot.

In the March state election in Carinthia, they are on the ballot in just 3/4 electoral districts.

And in Salzburg it is yet unclear if they are running in the April state election.

[windjammer]

Slight correction:

I mean, the FPÖ was founded by neoNazis. What were you expecting?

Hahahahaha fair point

[Tender Branson]

The Far-Right Fraternities Academics Ball @ Vienna's Hofburg yesterday evening had several protests, but the numbers were very small: Only 8.000 to 10.000 people protested and there were no clashes (which is pretty good to see, because I guess clashes would have led the focus away from their Nazi songbook scandal and would have only helped the FPÖ in tomorrow's state election).

The ball, which is sponsored by the FPÖ, was also attended by FPÖ-leader Strache and his wife and several other high-ranking FPÖ politicians, guests from abroad and even the Austrian leader of the right-extremist Identitarians, Martin Sellner.

Pics:

[Tender Branson]

In other news, the Vienna-SPÖ will elect a new party leader today (who also becomes the new city mayor).

Current SPÖ-Vienna chief and mayor Michael Häupl is finally retiring after 25 years in the job.

There are some 1.000 SPÖ-delegates meeting today, consisting of district members (by party/election strength and population), union members and other SPÖ party organisations + the party leadership. There are some 30 organisations within the SPÖ.



The race between Michael Ludwig (left) and Andreas Schieder (right) appears to be very close, with the bigger outlying district members + unions backing Ludwig, while the SPÖ establishment/SPÖ-women and the inner-city delegates are favouring Schieder.

A few months ago, the battle was described as a "huge clash in the making, which would further destroy the SPÖ", but since then the SPÖ has consolidated and Ludwig & Schieder have actually laid out their individual leadership plans to delegates in podium discussions, while refraining from attacking themselves. It also seems that ÖVP-FPÖ as a common enemy is uniting the party.

A result is expected in the evening.

https://kurier.at/chronik/wien/schieder-oder-ludwig-roter-showdown-in-der-messehalle/308.419.149

[Tender Branson]

A new Vorarlberg state election poll (VN/Berndt):



Vorarlberg's next state election is in 2019. The current government there is ÖVP-Greens. According to the poll, ÖVP-Greens could continue with their coalition after the election.

[Tender Branson]

Michael Ludwig, the favourite of the more FPÖ-leaning outer districts of Vienna, was just elected new SPÖ-leader and future mayor of Vienna.

Among 972 SPÖ-delegates who cast votes, Ludwig beat the more leftist Schieder by a 57-43 margin.



https://kurier.at/politik/inland/ludwig-oder-schieder-live-vom-landesparteitag-der-wiener-spoe/308.475.343

[Tender Branson]

Final voting results for new Vienna SPÖ-leader and mayor:

551 votes - Michael Ludwig (57.4%) [X]
409 votes - Andreas Schieder (42.6%)
960 total valid votes
    7 invalid votes
  14 abstentions
981 total delegates present (98.6% turnout)

[Tender Branson]

With the important Lower Austria state election tomorrow, the pressure on the FPÖ and their leader there - Udo Landbauer - is once again increasing after the Nazi songbooks:

https://derstandard.at/2000073141254/Mikl-Leitner-schliesst-Zusammenarbeit-mit-FPOe-Landbauer-aus

https://derstandard.at/2000073134064/Van-der-Bellen-zu-Liederbuch-Grenze-liegt-schon-vor-Verurteilung

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the ÖVP-Governor of Lower Austria, has ruled out a coalition with Landbauer after the election.

Plus, President Van der Bellen (Greens) today called for the resignation of Landbauer.

Both cited the horrible, unacceptable phrases in these songtexts such as "Step on the gas, we'll make it to 7 million." and that responsibility has to start even before the courts act. Anything else would damage the image of the state and country.

[rob in cal]

   Tender, did either Ludwig or Schieder have a clear position on the new Kurz government?  Was Schieder more strongly opposed perhaps?

[Tender Branson]

  Tender, did either Ludwig or Schieder have a clear position on the new Kurz government?  Was Schieder more strongly opposed perhaps?

As a non-Viennese I didn't really follow the internal SPÖ-party debate and positions.

But it seems that both Ludwig and Schieder are really opposed to ÖVP-FPÖ and their plans to eliminate some SPÖ-initiated job creation programmes (such as the 50+ one for old long-term unemployed) and the likely introduction of some HARTZ IV-style model in which long-term unemployed would be pushed into the welfare system and where the state would tap into their personal assets to finance welfare for them. The differences between both of them are really not that big on this issue. ÖVP-FPÖ is uniting the SPÖ.

[Tender Branson]

Today:

The important Lower Austria state election.

Polls close at 5pm and a first projection is expected a few minutes later.

A final result can be expected 2-3 hours later.

The ÖVP has to defend 51% from 2013, which seems impossible.

The SPÖ could gain moderately from their low 21%.

The FPÖ disqualified themselves as a coalition partner with their recent Nazi songbook scandal, but will likely still gain a lot from their low 8% in 2013, simply because of the 10% of former Team Stronach voters up for grabs.

NEOS is new and will likely make it into state parliament easily.

The Greens are also likely to pass the 4% threshold after all. The FPÖ scandal is helping them too.

[Tender Branson]

Polls for the very important Lower Austria state election close in less than 2 hours.

Here are some pictures of frontrunners voting:

Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP)



Franz Schnabl (SPÖ)



Udo Landbauer (FPÖ)



Helga Krismer (Greens)



Indra Collini (NEOS)

[Tender Branson]

Lower Austria state election - 1st projection after all polls have closed:



ÖVP retains their absolute majority, which is a surprise and a huge victory for Chancellor Kurz.

FPÖ performs badly, SPÖ does a bit better and Greens and NEOS are in the state parliament.

[DavidB.]

Very good.