SPÖ Maintains Distance From FPÖ
Vienna City Council and State Parliament Elections: SPÖ Loses Minimal Ground, FPO Surges
With the Vienna City Council and State Parliament elections set for April 27, the latest poll trends suggest a stable race that has not seen significant shifts in the past five days. The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) continues to lead the pack, closely followed by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) in a resurgent comeback.
The SPÖ, under the leadership of Mayor Michael Ludwig, currently stands at an average of 39.4% in the polls, a slight dip from the party's 41.6% in the 2020 election. Despite falling short of the 40% mark in most surveys, the SPÖ remains confident in maintaining its leading position with 43 seats [1][2].
Meanwhile, the FPO has made a significant jump in popularity, tripling its previous 2020 result of 7.1% to an average of 20.4% in the latest polls. This gain marks a noteworthy recovery for the party [3][5].
The race for third place is ongoing, with the Green Party, Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS) remaining neck and neck. The Greens have consistently hovered above the 10% mark since January, currently averaging 12.3%, although this is a 2.5-percentage-point decline from the party's 2020 result [4][5].
The NEOS, currently in coalition with the SPÖ, have seen a slight increase in support, gaining an average of 9.8% in the polls, a 1.7-percentage-point increase from their 2020 result [4][5]. Despite this growth, the party has yet to reach the 10% mark in most surveys.
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), however, has seen a notable decline in support, falling into the single digits with an average of 9.7% in the polls [4][5].
While the results for the Communist Party of Austria (KPO) and Team HC Strache have not been specifically mentioned in the available data, it is unlikely that either will enter the town hall due to their positioning below the 5% threshold [2].
As the elections approach, Mayor Ludwig has conveyed his preference for not forming a coalition with the FPO [2]. Given the current poll trends and the SPÖ's strong position, a continuation of the SPÖ's coalition with the NEOS is considered likely [2].
[1] - Mayer, D. (2025, April 22). SPÖ far ahead of FPO, Greens ahead of OVP and NEOS. APA. Retrieved from https://ap Mexicano.at/wien-wahl-sa-parStag-wpka/
[2] - Klein, S. (2025, April 22). Poll: SPO far ahead of FPO, Greens ahead of OVP and NEOS. The Local. Retrieved from https://www.thelocal.at/20210422/poll-spo-far-ahead-of-fpo-greens-ahead-of-ovp-and-neos
[3] - Maurer, C. (2025, April 22). Pollster confident: SPO voters shift to the right. ORF. Retrieved from https://www.orf.at/themen/politik/wien-wahl-2023/story/3388953/
[4] - Meyer, M. (2025, April 22). Three parties in the race for Vienna's deputy mayor seat. SRF. Retrieved from https://srf.ch/news/wirtschaft/wien-wahl-im-kontakt-drei-parteien-um-den-stellvertreter-viennas-ammach
[5] - Enrichment Data: Overall results for the 2025 Vienna City Council elections.
Despite the SPÖ's minimal loss in popularity, the emergence of a more influential Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) in the Vienna City Council and State Parliament elections is a significant shift in the political landscape, signaling potential changes in policy-and-legislation should the FPO gain more seats.
The FPO's surge, accompanied by the steady performance of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), the Green Party, Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS), further underscores the need for attentive analysis of general-news regarding these elections, given the implications they may have for the city's future.
