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

[Tender Branson]

German gay marriage vote given green light by Angela Merkel

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/27/german-gay-marriage-vote-given-green-light-angela-merkel

Interesting ... This comes after recent pressure from the SPD, FDP, Left and Greens - who all made YES to gay marriage a requirement for their participation in a future government.

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And here in Austria, it's basically the same thing at the same time:

SPÖ+Greens+NEOS all made a major push in the last week for a parliamentary vote on "marriage for all".

Like the SPD in Germany, who wants to force a free vote this week, Chancellor Kern today also called for a free vote in parliament - in which MPs can vote their conscience and not along the party line.



In the case of Austria, it means that SPÖ+Greens+NEOS would need an additional 8 MPs from ÖVP+FPÖ+TS+Independents for a majority.

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/ehe-fuer-alle-kern-laesst-spoe-mandataren-freie-hand/272.097.368

[Tender Branson]

HC Strache (FPÖ) has a different campaign theme right now: animal rights.

Strache and his wife Philippa were at the Vienna Zoo today and "adopted" 2 baby giraffes:

[Tender Branson]

The Team Stronach just announced that it won't run in the election. No name-change, no more financing from Frank.

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Team-Stronach-gibt-endgueltig-auf/288952343

http://derstandard.at/2000059894099/Team-Stronach-kandidiert-nicht-mehr

One of their MPs could still run with a list on their own, but would need 2 others to enable a candidacy.

[Tender Branson]

The Team Stronach just announced that it won't run in the election. No name-change, no more financing from Frank.

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Team-Stronach-gibt-endgueltig-auf/288952343

http://derstandard.at/2000059894099/Team-Stronach-kandidiert-nicht-mehr

One of their MPs could still run with a list on their own, but would need 2 others to enable a candidacy.

rip

Nobody here will miss them.

So, what's next for you ?

You need to change your signature ... NEOS, FPÖ, ÖVP ?

[Tender Branson]

I am shocked to hear how bad the party is treating Pilz.

Makes my vote bullet-proof SPÖ this time, i guess.

With Pilz kicked out, there are now reports that he's thinking about running with a list on his own - which would be terrible news for the Greens.

Pilz told the ORF report that he's at least thinking about it and will decide by the end of July. There are several other Green MPs who could join his list and enable a candidacy without collecting signatures.

This would be the worst-case scenario for the Greens, after their youth group already joined forces with the KPÖ.

Pilz has a significant following and if they run against each other both groups could drop below the 5% threshold.

http://derstandard.at/2000059862360/Abgang-von-Pilz-Geruechte-ueber-neue-Liste

[Tender Branson]

The Austrian economy is having some nice growth lately ...

Q1 already had +2.3% vs. last year and the 2nd quarter could be even better because the manufacturing index reached the highest level in 7 years in June.

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/interestrates/Austria-Manufacturing-Growth-At-76-Month-High-1002130142

Also, the budget figures for May came out today and the January-May budget deficit is down by 43% compared with January-May of last year. Revenues are up by 8.2% compared with last year, expenditures down by 2%.

https://service.bmf.gv.at/budget/akthh/2017/201705_HTML_BUDGET_F.htm

Good news for SPÖ and ÖVP. Bad news for the FPÖ.

[Tender Branson]

The chances that the Greens are blowing up and split into 2 lists for the election are growing daily:

http://diepresse.com/home/innenpolitik/5243121/Peter-Pilz-zu-eigener-Liste_Ja-ich-will

Yesterday, powerful long-time Green MP Peter Pilz (who was ousted by the Green delegates at their convention last weekend) said he was leaning in favour of creating his own list with a few other MPs who got ousted.

So, we basically could get 2 Greens with 3.5% each and out of parliament ...

And if NEOS fumbles the election too, we'd be left with only 3 parties in parliament ...

[Tender Branson]

Major tactical victory for the SPÖ today: SPÖ and ÖVP have agreed to abolish the so-called "care regress" for old people in need of care. This will be passed in parliament today.

Looks like the issue got too hot for the ÖVP and they decided to back the initiative before Kern was campaigning on it for the next months.

There are a lot of things being passed in parliament yesterday and today, including a 2.4 Bio. € rise in funding for universities - in which the SPÖ voted in favour, together with the FPÖ, Greens and NEOS. The ÖVP and Team Stronach voted against. The ÖVP was actually in favour earlier on, but voted against it because some of their demands were not included.

http://derstandard.at/2000060501916/Pflege-Regress-wird-abgeschafft

http://derstandard.at/2000060074019/Nationalrat-SPOe-will-bei-Uni-Finanzierung-gegen-OeVP-stimmen

[Tender Branson]

Is Austria also like Germany in that you have to get 5% or more to be in parliament?

No, 4%.

[Tender Branson]

So, what's up with the FPÖ and Strache ?

Not much. In Tyrol, the FPÖ was involved in "pig-gate": A local FPÖ-youth group had barbecue recently and posted pictures of it on Facebook. Later in the night, they dumped the pig-head on the grounds of the local Turkish mosque (during Ramadan). In the morning, the Turks found the pig head and called the police - who called the BVT (Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Anti-Terror Agency) to investigate the issue. The BVT found the Facebook post (put online the night when the pig head was dumped). Later, the FPÖ had to announce: "It was in fact our pig head."

Does German have the expression "pigheaded"?

Yes: "stur" or "dickköpfig". But these terms have nothing to do with a pig in German.

[Tender Branson]

The chances that the Greens are blowing up and split into 2 lists for the election are growing daily:

http://diepresse.com/home/innenpolitik/5243121/Peter-Pilz-zu-eigener-Liste_Ja-ich-will

Yesterday, powerful long-time Green MP Peter Pilz (who was ousted by the Green delegates at their convention last weekend) said he was leaning in favour of creating his own list with a few other MPs who got ousted.

So, we basically could get 2 Greens with 3.5% each and out of parliament ...

And if NEOS fumbles the election too, we'd be left with only 3 parties in parliament ...

I think that if Pilz succeeds in finding strong running mates (preferably including ex-SPÖ members and women) and campaigns on the right mix of left-wing populism, ecology, government transparency and anti-(islamist)-extremism, he could attract a huge bunch of voters who wouldn't vote for the Greens in their current state anyways, from abstention, SPÖ, NEOS and even FPÖ. This could of course become an epic failure for both Greens and Pilz+, but I see enough potential to get more votes with two distinct political brands.

While a Pilz-list would certainly be intriguing (after all he's not a delusional on the recent immigration excesses like many Greens), I don't see either a Pilz-list nor the regular Greens passing the 4% threshold in such a short time. Pilz would only set up his list in August, with no funding. He would also not be invited to major debates. In the end, both Greens would be out of parliament ...

I could see myself supporting a Pilz-list, but for now I'm sticking with Kern.

[Tender Branson]

So, what's up with the FPÖ and Strache ?

Not much. In Tyrol, the FPÖ was involved in "pig-gate": A local FPÖ-youth group had barbecue recently and posted pictures of it on Facebook. Later in the night, they dumped the pig-head on the grounds of the local Turkish mosque (during Ramadan). In the morning, the Turks found the pig head and called the police - who called the BVT (Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Anti-Terror Agency) to investigate the issue. The BVT found the Facebook post (put online the night when the pig head was dumped). Later, the FPÖ had to announce: "It was in fact our pig head."

Does German have the expression "pigheaded"?

Yes: "stur" or "dickköpfig". But these terms have nothing to do with a pig in German.

dickköpfig means thickhead-ed?

Exactly.

[Tender Branson]

According to an interview with Ö24, Peter Pilz is definitely running with his own GREENS 2.0 list:

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Pilz-zu-eigener-Liste-Ja-ich-will/289218424

This changes everything !

[Tender Branson]

According to an interview with Ö24, Peter Pilz is definitely running with his own GREENS 2.0 list:

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/Pilz-zu-eigener-Liste-Ja-ich-will/289218424

This changes everything !

The ORF might invite Pilz to the debates, because the spot occupied by the Team Stronach is now free:

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/peter-pilz-auf-diesen-wahlkampf-freue-ich-mich-schon-sehr/272.490.107

Pilz is planning a left-populist campaign, targeting "political Islam" which is destroying Europe - but also wants to attract SPÖ- and ÖVP-voters and in particular - previous non voters.

[Tender Branson]

It will also be interesting to see what former Green MP Efgani Dönmez will do now ...

Dönmez (one of the Greens with common sense when it comes to Islamist extremism and immigration/integration issues) was kicked out by the Greens a while ago, because he demanded one-way tickets to Turkey for Austrian Erdogan-supporters. Dönmez, who was one of Pilz's closest associates, is also a current integration ambassador and has good ties with Sebastian Kurz ...

http://diepresse.com/home/innenpolitik/5243773/Die-PilzPartei_Linke-Liste-mit-IslamismusKritik

[Tender Branson]

New poll (Research Affairs/ÖSTERREICH, online, June 27-29, n=600):



58% ÖVP-FPÖ
38% SPÖ-Greens-NEOS
  4% Others

[Tender Branson]

Austria's 150-year old parliament building is almost falling apart, so it will be completely renovated for 500 Mio. € over the next 3 years. Work will start next month and the new parliament will then look very modern in 2020 (like the German Bundestag).

In the meantime, an "interim parliament" was set up in the Hofburg Palace. Work there was finished today and MPs will soon move there (their offices are re-located right now to 2 pavillions outside the Hofburg).

This is the interim parliament:

[Tender Branson]

Interim parliament is snazzy. I like it!

And this is how the new renovated parliament will look like in 2020:

Parliament room, visitor gallery and glass ceiling on top



(Investigation) committee rooms



Upper floor + restaurants near the visitor gallery



Whole concept + offices of MP + visitor areas

[Tender Branson]

The ÖVP party convention takes place today in Linz, where some 1000 delegates will officially elect Sebastian Kurz as new party leader. He'll also get 4 new deputy party leaders (inclunding 3 women).

Kurz will then deliver a speech about the economy/jobs, security/immigration/integration and social issues. After the convention, the ÖVP will host a "summer party" with an expected 5000 guests.

http://orf.at/stories/2397548

[Tender Branson]

BREAKING NEWS:

Irmgard Griss, the independent presidential candidate from 2016 who got 19% of the votes in the first round and former Austrian Constitutional Court President, will officially run for the liberal NEOS.



https://kurier.at/politik/inland/unabhaengige-irmgard-griss-kandidiert-fuer-neos-liste/272.667.791

This is a major victory for NEOS, because Griss was also targeted by the Kurz-team as a candidate. She still has a good image among centrist voters and a broad voter base from 2016.

According to the "Kurier" newspaper, Griss has already agreed to a NEOS candidacy.

Because NEOS already had their party primaries for candidates, Griss will be offered a "wildcard" to run as an Indy candidate on the NEOS list. If 50%+ of NEOS party members vote for the wildcard, she's in.

[Tender Branson]

Kern, Kurz, Strache/Hofer, (Greens), Strolz/Griss, maybe Pilz, KPÖ+ and Düringer's comedy list.

This election's going to have the best lineup of candidates ever for a parliamentary election.

Lots of choice for voters. Good for turnout.

[Tender Branson]

A brutal double murder case currently shocks Austria and politics:

A Muslim delivery driver from Tunisia has killed an old couple in Linz and burned down their house because he thought they were FPÖ voters and he blamed the FPÖ for all his personal misery.

Chancellor Kern has issued a statement on this disgusting crime, calling it "heinous".

[Tender Branson]

A brutal double murder case currently shocks Austria and politics:

A Muslim delivery driver from Tunisia has killed an old couple in Linz and burned down their house because he thought they were FPÖ voters and he blamed the FPÖ for all his personal misery.

Chancellor Kern has issued a statement on this disgusting crime, calling it "heinous".

More and more details about this horrific crime are emerging. The old couple for example were no FPÖ voters, he wrongly thought they were because their son worked in the Upper Austrian state government which has a ÖVP-FPÖ coalition. In fact, the old couple repeatedly gave the killer money to help him with his failing delivery business. When the couple's son refused to talk with the killer he planned the murders - to send a message to the FPÖ and Austrian society - who apparently treated him badly in the last years, also via welfare cuts. More tomorrow.

[Tender Branson]

Victim-blaming, taking no responsibility and no, someone who was in this country for 30 years is not a tunisian anymore, this is just a criminal austrian muslim with paranoia and without balls.

Well, if you are in the country for 30 years and still never applied for citizenship, you are probably still a Tunisian in your head.

Besides, this is already the 2nd such murder case in the past year - with foreigners targeting actual or suspected FPÖ-voters: Just last May, slightly before the Presidential runoff, a rejected 21-year old African asylum seeker who was in the country illegally and who had a history of crime, killed an actual FPÖ-voter (a cleaning lady) on her way to work, by beating her to death with an iron rod.

[Tender Branson]

Sebastian Kurz elected new ÖVP-leader with 98.7% of the delegates.

Some pictures from the ÖVP convention: