The SPÖ says goodbye to the election campaign in Ottakring

Leading candidate Andreas Schieder once again promoted his “great program” for social Europe, location, women’s rights and youth: “This will only happen if the center is strengthened and that is the SPÖ.” Party leader Andreas Babler emphasized: “Whoever strengthens us strengthens the bulwark against the right.”

• Also read: Election campaign for Europe: From agitators, poll kings and side effects [OÖNplus]

While ÖVP party leader Karl Nehammer skipped the closing event on Thursday, the SPÖ put its leader in the spotlight. Babler was chosen to give the final and longest speech. In addition to thanking all his colleagues, the SP leader’s credo was to make more justice tangible in all areas of life.

Once again, Babler, who shook countless hands before and after, indirectly addressed an invitation to Green voters: “We want to renature.” Schieder also stressed that climate protection can only be taken seriously if it falls into the right hands – and these are not those of the Greens but those of the Social Democrats.

• Video: End of election campaign for SPÖ

“Europe of the elites”

In any case, the leading candidate did not particularly like the programs of the other parties. With the NEOS, he saw a “Europe of the elites.” With the ÖVP, he regretted that the “common sense” that they invoked never came by, and with the FPÖ, things were moving in the direction of less democracy and more nationalism.

The SPÖ had gathered several hundred supporters at Yppenplatz in Vienna-Ottakring, which has been repeatedly praised for its coexistence of different cultures, to give itself a “final boost”, as Evelyn Regner, second on the list, emphasised. They wanted to run to the last kilometer, as the SPÖ always does, and without provoking or stirring up hatred. What John Otti is to the FPÖ, Roman Gregory is now to the SPÖ. He and his “President Friends” filled Yppenplatz with sound for several hours.