SALZBURG: According to the media reports, the voters settled their account with ruling parties in State Parliament.
Die ÖVP was placed as number 1 with a loss of 7.4 % votes. “The losses have turned out to be higher than expected. ÖVP governor Wilfried Haslauer cannot understand the voters’ reckoning. The “country is in a good position,” but there is still “uncertainty. For the third time – after Tyrol and Lower Austria – the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has fallen to first place, but continues to hold the governor’s seat. However, the election also shows that elections cannot yet be won with Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s main themes of asylum and green combustion.
Historic result for FPÖ
The FPÖ hoisted itself into second place, jumping above the 20 percent mark for the first time with 25.7 percent. A historic result. Svazek now wants to lead the FPÖ into coalition. “The result shows that the people of Salzburg want a change,” Svazek tells Haslauer.
Haslauer more flexible than Mikl-Leitner
However, the situation in Salzburg is different from that in Lower Austria. Haslauer is more flexible in his choice of coalition partners than Johanna Mikl-Leitner. In Lower Austria, the proportional representation system meant that three FPÖ provincial state Ministers were fixed in the government. Haslauer can form a coalition with the SPÖ and the Greens and thus easily thwart the Blue Party despite its electoral success. However, this would be a coalition of losers.
Svazek announced on election night that she would only remain in Salzburg if she became deputy governor. If she does not succeed, she would also accept a call to Vienna, if FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl wants her to.
The KPÖ Plus creates a sensation – it even reaches double digits with 11.7 percent. During the election campaign, the party had already expected to enter the state parliament, but no one had expected this result.
SPÖ plummets to third place. The Reds rules Salzburg for ten years – must take responsibility for the fall to third place and a drop of 2.2 percentage points.
NEOS fly out of the state parliament. The government participation has not paid off for the NEOS. With a result of just over four percent, they were thrown out of parliament and had to start from scratch. The Greens were also handed a reckoning.
