More FPÖ Competition in SPÖ Strongholds in Vienna Election

After the poor performance of the FPÖ and the successes of the ÖVP in the Vienna election five years ago, which also won in bourgeois districts, the decisive election campaigns are focusing on the traditional working-class districts and Transdanubia.

Vienna Election 2020: Big Gain for SPÖ, Debacle for FPÖ

In the 2020 election, the SPÖ managed to regain lost ground from the FPÖ. They recaptured Simmering (46.63/+6.37) and Floridsdorf (46.21/+7.05) from the heavily battered Blues after the Ibiza affair and expense scandal. The Social Democrats also celebrated significant gains in their other traditional strongholds Favoriten (48.4 percent/+7.01), Brigittenau (48.15/+5.07), Donaustadt (46.16/+5.36), and Meidling 44.83 (+3.33).

The Freedom Party lost about 30 percentage points in Floridsdorf, Favoriten, and Donaustadt five years ago, plummeting to single-digit results. The FPÖ remained in double digits only in Simmering, but even here, the 14.89 percent - after 42.90 percent five years earlier - and third place instead of first was very bitter for the Blues.

FPÖ Returns as Main Opponent in Vienna Election

Now, the former main red competitor is back in the race, although according to surveys, probably not as strong as ten years ago. Under Heinz-Christian Strache, the Blues turned Floridsdorf and Simmering blue in 2015 and came within about 2 percentage points of the SPÖ in Favoriten and Donaustadt. In these large districts, former FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache is also trying to fish for votes with his list "Team HC Strache."

The battle for votes will also be exciting in the bourgeois districts, where the Reds traditionally struggle and the ÖVP has its core electorate. A similar dream result as in 2020 seems out of reach for the Viennese Turquoise this time. In the wake of the success wave under party leader Sebastian Kurz, the People's Party captured the districts of Innere Stadt and Hietzing and also cracked the 20 percent mark in Döbling, Währing, Liesing, Penzing, Donaustadt, Hernals, Josefstadt, Wieden, and even in Floridsdorf.

In the more bourgeois districts, the NEOS are also fishing for ÖVP clientele. The Pinks performed best in 2020 in the first district (Innere Stadt) (11.92) as well as in the western districts Währing (11.71), Hietzing (11.55), and Alsergrund (11.01). The Greens, on the other hand, are traditionally very strong in the districts within the Gürtel. Austria's stronghold is Neubau, where there was even a green majority between 2005 and 2010. In 2020, the Greens reached nearly 30 percent (29.76) here and second place behind the SPÖ. The eco-party is also consistently strong in the neighboring districts of Mariahilf (26.02) and Josefstadt (24.32) as well as in Alsergrund (23.93) and Währing 22.97.

(APA/Red)

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