The ÖVP suffered its worst result in Sunday’s Vorarlberg election, but still defended first place, and won 38.3 percent of the vote, according to provisional final results, including a ballot forecast. The FPÖ almost doubled its electoral result from 2019 and is in second place with 28 percent. The Greens were relegated to third place with only 12.5 percent. The SPÖ and NEOS are behind them with nine percent each.
Vorarlberg projection: ÖVP in first place
ÖVP 38.3%, FPÖ 28%, Greens 12.6%, SPÖ 8.9%, Neos 8.9%, X 1.2%, KPÖ 0.7% and AMDRS 0.5%.
In the 2019 election, the ÖVP won first place by a wide margin: at that time, the People’s Party reached 43.53 percent. Second place went to Green with a respectable margin of 18.89 percent. Behind them are the FPÖ with 13.93 percent, the SPÖ with 9.46 percent and the NEOS with 8.51 percent.
Drexler: “Leading decision” between ÖVP and FPÖ
It didn’t take long for the first reactions to come from Styria, where state elections are due in six weeks. Styrian ÖVP leader and state governor Kristoffer Drexler congratulated his Vorarlberg party colleagues for winning the election, but noted that the People’s Party had again lost a lot of votes: “Defeats are always painful. But when it comes to who should lead a country as a strong force, in state politics, stable conditions and constructive tasks are prioritized over extreme positions on the fringes.
Kunacek: “The desire for a trend change is confirmed”
In an initial reaction, Styrian FPÖ leader Mario Kunacek spoke of a “historic result for the Freedom Party in Vorarlberg” – and saw it as confirmation of “the will to reverse a trend in Austria”. The ruling ÖVP has been punished by the voters again, and Kunacek expects something similar in Styria after the Vorarlberg election: “Throughout Austria, people can increasingly identify with the liberal content. We also feel this desire in Styria every day in direct conversation. Population,” says Kunacek with his party “to take over the state governor’s chair. “Liked
Long: Departing from national trend “no win”
SPÖ leader Anton Lang announced the same goal at a special state party conference in Leoben on Saturday – more on this at the state party conference in the SPÖ election campaign. However, the Styrian SPÖ top candidate was disappointed with the election result in Vorarlberg: “The Vorarlberg result shows that it is not possible to stand apart from the national trend in this short time after the National Council elections.”
Swatek: “Best Election Result” for NEOS
Niko Swatek, the leading candidate of Styrian NEOS, was happy that Pinks joined the FPÖ in the re-winners – although it was not a big plus in the state, but the almost nine percent level was “too high anyway”. This is now the third election in a row where NEOS has managed to achieve gains and is “stopped”. It also gives Steck a tailwind for elections in Styria.
Sandra Kratväschl, head of the Green Party in Styria, commented succinctly on her party’s poor performance in Vorarlberg: “The losses are painful, but despite everything I hope Vorarlberg will take a steady course.”