Greens Secure Margareten Square, According to Reports
A Green Sweep in Vienna's District Council Election
The Greens are celebrating their win in the District Council election, snatching the number one spot from the SPO in Vienna's Margareten district. Preliminary final results, after counting postal votes, place the Greens at 32.5% and the SPO at 31.0%, making it the Greens' fourth district council authority in Vienna.
In Vienna Neubau, the Greens solidified their position with a boost to 48.1% (+3.2), while the SPO slipped slightly to 20.4% (-0.2). The NEOS climbed to 9.3% (+1.4) and the ÖVP plummeted to 7.7% (-6.0), with the FPÖ and KPO following closely behind.
In Josefstadt, the Greens made significant gains with a 10.5% increase, putting them at 44.1%. The ÖVP experienced a significant loss, nearly halving their vote share to 16.0%. The SPO held onto second place with a marginal loss of 0.4%, while NEOS, FPÖ, and KPO trailed behind.
In Währing, the Greens expanded their leadership further, having 43.0% (+4.3), well ahead of the ÖVP's 17.9% (-9.6). The SPO lost 2.4 points and settled in third place with 15.5%.
The Greens were elated, stating, "Margareten is turning green." Future District Mayor Michael Luxenberger welcomed the victory, pledging to focus on U-Bahn construction and traffic management to improve the district.
The SPO maintained their leading positions in Simmering and Favoriten, though they also experienced slight losses. In Simmering, FPÖ made a notable gain and in Favoriten, the FPÖ also climbed, but the SPO retained their stronghold.
Remaining ballots, including those from non-Austrian EU citizens, were counted on Monday. Overall, the SPO lost 2.6 percentage points, finishing with 35% of the vote across Vienna. The Greens, NEOS, FPÖ, and ÖVP all saw minor shifts, with the Greens and FPÖ experiencing slight improvements. Voter turnout was 54.2%, significantly lower than the 2020 election.
In the broader context, urban districts in Austria often favor the Greens due to their strong environmental policies and appeal to progressive voters. The specific reasons for the Greens' success in the Margareten district are not clearly stated, but it may reflect local support for their policies or dissatisfaction with the current leaders.
- The Greens' victories in Vienna's District Council elections expanded their reach, now controlling four out of Vienna's districts.
- In the Margareten district, the Greens showed a remarkable rise, securing a 32.5% vote share and overtaking the SPO.
- The Greens made substantial gains in Josefstadt, securing 44.1% of the vote, while the ÖVP suffered a significant loss.
- In Währing, the Greens fortified their lead with 43.0% of the vote, leaving the ÖVP and SPO in second and third place respectively.
