The polls left little doubt: the right-wing populists are on the rise in Austria. The EU elections seem to confirm this. The question is: will the trend continue until the National Council elections in the autumn?
In Austria, the right-wing FPÖ is on course to win the European elections. According to a trend forecast published as the polling stations closed, the right-wing populists are ahead of the social democratic SPÖ and the conservative ÖVP with 27 percent. Compared to the 2019 EU elections, the FPÖ has gained around 10 percentage points, according to the trend. During the election campaign, the party had often emphasized its scepticism towards the EU under the slogan “Stop the EU madness” and portrayed the EU as a warmongering force in the Ukraine conflict.
Governing ÖVP loses 10 percent
According to pollsters’ calculations, which are based on several thousand interviews before the vote and on election day, the SPÖ and the ÖVP each received around 23 percent. For the governing ÖVP, this means a loss of more than 10 percentage points. The SPÖ is at about the same level as it was in the election five years ago.
The Greens’ result was also eagerly awaited. Their top candidate, 23-year-old climate activist Lena Schilling, had to contend with a debate about her suitability triggered by media reports. According to the trend, the Greens lost around four percentage points and received around ten percent of the vote. The liberal Neos are likely to gain a little and, according to pollsters, also achieved around ten percent.
Austria will provide 20 of the future 720 representatives
Austria has 20 of the future 720 members of the European Parliament. Sunday’s vote was also seen as a test for the National Council elections in the autumn. Here too, polls have so far shown the FPÖ as the clear favorite.
The trend forecast was published by the news agency APA, the public broadcaster ORF and the private broadcaster Puls24. It is based on election day surveys by the Institute Foresight, Arge Wahlen and Peter Hajek.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
