Supported by prominent politicians from the Greens, but also by the SPÖ, ÖVP and NEOS, Alexander Van der Bellen celebrated the end of his campaign for the federal presidential election on Friday afternoon in Vienna. In the packed Marx Palace, the incumbent called on all supporters to really vote, because; “It’s not possible to make Oktoberfest.” The aim is to get more votes on Sunday than all other candidates combined. “It’s not nothing,” said Van der Bellen.
In purely arithmetical terms, it could be tight, “not to say awfully tight”, he paraphrased his own saying from the first appearance. “If you care about democracy, about liberal democracy,” said the incumbent and former leader of the Greens, “then go to the polls.” The meadow is only mowed if there are enough people mowing with it. “And if you can, please put your trust in me.”
It’s not about him as a person, but about Austria and about getting the country through stormy times competently, clearly and decisively. “By the way, the election of the Federal President is not about electing a self-portrayal, or a chancellor or the government. It’s about electing a Federal President.”
Van der Bellen spoke in front of the almost entirely mask-wearing audience of solidarity, nobody should be left behind. It is also important to set the energy policy course for the future, “and – let’s say it openly – to make us independent of despotic arbitrariness”. You have to stand up when injustice happens and a dictator starts a war. He also made a commitment to Europe, human rights, peaceful coexistence in mutual respect and democracy.
There were a number of supporters in the audience, and by no means only Greens. Among them was SPÖ chairwoman Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Green party boss and vice chancellor Werner Kogler, club chairwoman Sigrid Maurer, Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and his predecessor Michael Häupl (who, with the exception of Van der Bellens, received the most applause himself) or ex-ÖVP Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat.
The former Styrian governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) stepped up to the lectern for Van der Bellen. “I’m passionate about you, Mr. Federal President,” he said: “Van der Bellen was and is a very good Federal President for Austria.” NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger spoke of her great confidence that Van der Bellen’s well-being of all people in the country is a matter of the heart. “You can choose red-white-red on Sunday. Please do so,” she said.
Wlazny gave a speech at Stephansplatz
Beer party boss Dominik Wlazny motivated his supporters on Friday afternoon at Stephansplatz with a short, witty speech and loud rock music. Gerald Grosz was also out and about in the city center, but in the morning on the square in front of the President’s Office.
Wlazny addressed his predominantly young audience of several hundred people from the loading dock of a small truck. His 15-minute speech began with a lot of teasing, for which he received numerous laughs, and then became more serious as it went on. In the “felt 500,000 media appointments” that he had to complete, Wlazny found that the question of his motivation was neglected. He was asked about his torn pants and his nose ring. “I was also asked why I wasn’t sitting there with a beer, which I sometimes wished for,” joked Wlazny, aka Marco Pogo.
His motivation is the need for change. And he is the right Federal President because he knows the country “and knows every pub in the country and the people who sit there”. He has a company and, despite his young age, has experience.
“I know that you shouldn’t behave like a fool when a guest of state comes. (…) Not all of the other candidates would be able to do that. But never mind, let’s leave it.” But that’s not what matters, it’s about having values and standing by them. His values are respect, openness, tolerance, solidarity and independence. “I’m independent and fresh and I’m very motivated. (…) And I can also wear a suit and it looks good,” said Wlazny and appealed to his supporters to vote. Autographs were given at the end of the event.
Grosz railed against the “establishment”
Gerald Grosz, on the other hand, presented the end of his election campaign like a press conference. “Our country is at a crossroads on Sunday,” said the ex-FPÖ/BZÖ politician – who once again emphasized that he wanted to give the “establishment” a “note”. During his last election campaign, Grosz criticized the federal government for “innumerable breaches of the constitution” and railed against corruption and politicians who had lined their own pockets while many could no longer afford the electricity bill.
He did not name a specific target. “We’re starting from scratch, in that sense every vote is a huge success for me,” he assured. However, it is his aim to force incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen into a runoff. Grosz raved about the “romantic idea” that he could soon go into a discussion with the president. At the same time, he emphasized that he only had 23,000 euros in donations for his campaign. You got by without any posters or election gifts.
The candidate thanked the other contenders – not mentioning Van der Bellen – for what he felt was a largely fair campaign. Grosz will start the day of the election in Styria, after which he will travel to Vienna to answer questions about the results in the election center (in the Palais Niederösterreich, note) from around 6 p.m. for the first time.
According to Grosz, an aftermath should meanwhile have an ORF interview with him on Thursday evening. There he was accused of being convicted of slander – Grosz denies this, however. It is true that in 2007 he received a verdict from the regional court for civil matters for insulting the honor and damaging the credit of an ORF journalist, Grosz said on Friday to the APA. “But I’ve never been criminally convicted of slander.” He is now suing the ORF and the interviewer Susanne Schnabl, as well as her colleague Armin Wolf, who repeated the allegation on Twitter – because of slander, credit damage and insult to honor, Grosz announced.
Source: Nachrichten
