Image: ROLAND SCHLAGER (APA)
That is significantly more than in the last election in 2021 (16 percent), but significantly less than in the previous years with around 25 percent each. There is no result for the time being, a schedule for the further counting should be available on Friday morning.
Unlike usual, no final result was announced on Friday night this year. The results of several universities were not available even after midnight – the election commission was therefore adjourned to the morning. With the announcement of a final result, it should take until Friday afternoon. A similar delay last occurred in 2009. Clear tendencies in the election result were not yet discernible in the universities counted so far.
“trend is up”
In the ÖH election center there was relief on Thursday evening about the increase in participation. The increase of five percentage points is “incredibly gratifying”, according to ÖH boss Keya Baier (Greens and Alternative Students/GRAS). “This is an absolute trend reversal.” Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) was also pleased that the 20 percent mark had been exceeded. “The trend is clearly upwards.” For him, this is a sign that the students have recognized the work done by the departmental and university representatives, whom he knows well from his 16 years as Vice Rector of the University of Graz, as well as the federal representation.
ÖH Vice President Sara Velic (Association of Socialist Female Students/VSStÖ) was a little more critical. The participation is of course “anything but ideal”. Still, you can pat yourself on the back. For Green science spokeswoman Eva Blimlinger, the slight plus is no reason to be satisfied. “But better it goes up a bit than there is stagnation.” The fact that only a quarter of students have voted for a long time does not necessarily have to be due to a lack of interest or dissatisfaction. “Paradoxically” that could also be due to a high level of satisfaction, she said to the APA.
Nine factions fought nationwide for the 55 mandates in the ÖH federal representation, the Austria-wide student parliament. The VSStÖ has 14 mandates there, the GRAS and the ÖVP-affiliated AktionsGemeinschaft (AG) each have twelve. The young liberal students (JUNOS) hold six mandates, and the student council lists (FLÖ) have the same number. Two competing communist student associations (KSV LiLi and KSV Communist Youth/KJÖ) each have two mandates, with the Ring of Freedom Students (RFS) having the last seat. In addition to these eight factions, the new list “Who the F * uck is Herbert” is also on the ballot paper nationwide. The ÖH leadership form a coalition of VSStÖ, GRAS and FLÖ.
GRAS attracted particular attention in the final of the election campaign with a vibrator distribution campaign in front of the University of Vienna. Around 200 pieces in different price ranges were distributed among the people. Sarah Rossmann described the unusual campaign goodies at the ÖH election party in Vienna as hot cakes. The background to the campaign is that sexuality is still a taboo subject at universities and that universities should break such taboo subjects.
Source: Nachrichten
