Following Sunday’s state elections in Austria’s Burgenland, political parties are starting discussions this week to analyze the results and plan their next steps. The ÖVP (Austrian People’s Party) and SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) held their first meetings on Monday with their respective regional boards. The FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) chose to delay its meetings until Thursday, while the Greens are convening online Monday evening, with a statement expected Tuesday morning.
The SPÖ emerged as the strongest party but lost its absolute majority, forcing it to seek coalition partners. SPÖ leader Hans Peter Doskozil has expressed a willingness to negotiate with all parties, emphasizing that his focus is on forming a government that supports the party’s core goals. A coalition with the Greens could signal a shift in regional politics and reinforce the SPÖ’s stance against the federal government. However, Doskozil is also open to collaboration with the FPÖ, pointing to shared views on issues like asylum policies.
The ÖVP’s leadership met at 10 a.m. Monday to deliberate and is expected to release a statement soon. The SPÖ leadership will meet later in the afternoon, though details about potential press conferences are still unclear.
Voter Movement Shows FPÖ Gains
The FPÖ saw significant growth, gaining 45,000 votes in total. This included 11,000 from former SPÖ voters, 9,000 from the ÖVP, and 8,000 from those who had abstained in the 2020 elections. Meanwhile, the SPÖ secured 91,000 votes, mostly from its loyal base, while attracting 7,000 first-time voters.
The Greens retained 53% of their 2020 support but lost 24% of their voters to the SPÖ. They received smaller gains from the ÖVP and non-voters, totaling 11,000 votes this time.
With coalition talks underway, the focus remains on how alliances will shape Burgenland’s political future.
