APA-Election Trend: FPÖ Outclasses Competition

Looking at the polls, the balance sheet of the three-party coalition at the end of the year appears rather disastrous. The former major parties ÖVP and SPÖ achieve only 18.9 and 18 percent respectively in the APA election trend, which considers surveys from the last five weeks and weights them by recency, not even reaching the approval ratings of the FPÖ together. The FPÖ has been able to further expand its lead since the government took office. Only the NEOS do not seem to be harmed by their participation in the government so far.

On Sunday, it was exactly 300 days since the black-red-pink government was sworn in. Probably also due to the immediately initiated necessary consolidation course, there was hardly any sign of advance praise or a sense of new beginnings in the polls, even at the start among the governing parties. After an initial stabilization of the ÖVP and SPÖ at a low level, the polls have been declining for the parties of Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ) since the summer.

ÖVP and SPÖ under 20 Percent

The Chancellor's party is at a similarly low level in the current APA election trend with 18.9 percent as at its previous low point in mid-January - after the party's change of course and the start of previously excluded coalition negotiations with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. For about a month now, the People's Party - probably also as a result of the turbulence in the Chamber of Commerce - has slipped below the 20 percent mark and is thus far from the 26.3 percent the party still achieved in the National Council election in September 2024.

The SPÖ, which slipped to third place for the first time in the last election and recorded its worst result with 21.1 percent, also cannot benefit from its participation in the government. Since September, Vice Chancellor Babler's party has consistently been below the 20 percent mark. The situation is different for the smallest coalition partner, the NEOS, which remains relatively stable at 9.6 percent, slightly above the result of the National Council election (9.1).

FPÖ Leads in Polls

The main beneficiary of the economic and domestic political situation is the Freedom Party, which has been unchallenged at the top of all polls for three years now. Since the National Council election last year, when the FPÖ landed in first place for the first time in a National Council election with 28.8 percent, it has continued to rise steeply. The opposition party is now at 37.4 percent in the election trend.

The Greens have managed to regain their footing in the role of opposition party in recent weeks. Since September, the eco-party has been ahead of the NEOS again and relatively stable just above the 10 percent mark (currently: 10.9), but they are far from the highs of a few years ago.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.