For many Austrians, the National Council election on September 29th was an opportunity to come to terms with the controversial Corona policy of the past few years. For the first time, it can now be measured for how many people the restrictions and control by the governing parties during the pandemic were the actual trigger for their individual voting decision.
On behalf of exxpress, the INSA Institute determined how strongly the federal government’s actions during the Corona crisis influenced its voting decision in the last National Council election. And the result is surprising: According to this, for one in three Austrians eligible to vote (32 percent specifically), the pandemic policy had an influence on where they put their cross on the ballot paper.
However, for 56 percent of those surveyed who were eligible to vote, the federal government’s approach during the Corona crisis played no role in their personal voting decision. Eight percent of those surveyed do not know and another four percent do not want to provide any information.
Interesting detail on the side: As the pollsters also determined, the Corona issue played a role in the voting decision of men more than women.
But fundamental political worldviews were also a decisive factor, because with increasing right-wing orientation, the influence of the Corona crisis on the voting decision in the last National Council election rose from 21 to 46 percent.
This ideological trend is correspondingly opposite among those who state that the federal government’s handling of the Corona crisis had no influence on their voting decision (from 71 to 46 percent). Right-wing voters are divided on this (46 percent each yes, no) and the absolute majority of the other two groups negate such an influence (71 and 59 percent respectively).
Only the absolute majority of FPÖ voters say that the political handling of the Corona crisis played a role for them (58 percent). 45 percent of KPÖ voters also say this, but the absolute majority deny such an influence (52 percent), just like all other voter groups (55 – 83 percent).
In plain language: The Freedom Party benefited most from the Corona crisis on election Sunday. This is not surprising because their top candidate Herbert Kickl has always appeared as a staunch opponent of the Corona policy measures and was able to rally many supporters behind him in this way.
