ÖVP and FPÖ were much weaker than the national trend. The Neos were able to win over more voters than in the rest of Austria, as did the Greensin contrast to 2019, these still lost massively.
Seven reasons why Vienna votes the way it does
- The high proportion of migration
It may sound paradoxical, but the high proportion of migrants contributed to the fact that the Viennese voted more liberally (and less FPÖ) than the rest of the country: Research has well proven that people who have no contact with foreign cultures , skepticism is rising, says Soziologe Kenan Güngör to the COURIER. People in rural areas often only get to know the negative sides through politics and the media. But you can also have positive experiences in the city, so the population has a more differentiated picture. In addition, the population in cities is younger, more educated and more cosmopolitan. Another factor: In Vienna there are more people with a migrant background who are allowed to vote – many of whom do not choose the FPÖ.
The federal capital is during election campaign times a popular rubbing tree. If you live there yourself, not all of the allegations are understandable. Despite all the problems, one should not forget that Vienna has been named the most livable city in the world several times. The FPÖ strategy of “They are against him because he is for you,” which has worked for years, can also be applied to Vienna. If everyone is against Vienna, the residents will move closer together with the incumbent city government. Vienna is different, it’s more than a saying, it’s a mentality.
- The Vienna SPÖ is an election campaign machine
Sea Voter flow analysis The SPÖ had to give 180,000 (18 percent) votes to non-voters nationwide. In Vienna it should mobilization worked better: 3,500 activists were on the move. The goal of 20,000 home visits was far exceeded: there were around 30,000, it was said upon request. In addition, 10,000 telephone calls were made and there were 1,000 election campaign events.
Mayor Ludwig has up to FPÖ boss Dominik Nepp only a few loud opponents at the city level. The ÖVP around party leader Karl Mahrer has scaled back attacks in order to remain in the game as a possible coalition partner. The Greens are dealing with dual leadership Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus no favors because it is much harder to position two people in public.
- The SPÖ has two loyal coalition partners in Vienna
The so-called Punschkrapferl Coalition in Vienna, consisting of the SPÖ and Neos, has so far managed without major conflicts. The pink junior partner gets the topics Migration and Education Lots of space, but the transparency sometimes obscures the eye. The second coalition partner is unofficial, but all the more powerful: the black president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce Walter Ruck is a close confidante of Ludwig and often works together with the city boss. There are never any attacks against the Vienna SPÖ.
- Power factor Ludwig and Bures
As Mayor of Vienna, Ludwig has one simply because of his office high media presence. During the Corona crisis, he positioned himself as a man of security and stability – something that continues to earn him brownie points in times of multiple crises. Vienna’s top candidate Doris Bures has as Second President of the National Council a lot of experience and a high level of recognition. As part of the “Liesinger game” Her word carries a lot of weight within the divided SPÖ. Even a party leader Andres Babler A leaked email about his election program only diminished sympathy for her in the short term.
- The beer party did not deliver, SPÖ benefited from tactical voters
It was not clear in advance how many red voters there were Beer party around Dominik Wlazny. A botched election campaign showed: not many. The Reds did the rest to point out Wlazny’s weaknesses. Many Green voters chose the SPÖ for tactical reasons in order to prevent the FPÖ from joining the government: the potential for change was particularly high in the federal capital, as the Greens are traditionally strong here.
