Vienna's Election Outcome Catches Neos Off Guard with Unexpected Results
Here's the Rewritten Article:
Vienna's Electoral Frenzy: Mail-in Ballots Counted on Monday, Shaking Things Up a Tad, Especially for NEOS!
The SPÖ snatched victory on the voting day, experiencing a minor setback. On the other hand, the FPÖ skyrocketed from rock-bottom, swooping in to claim the second position, pushing the Greens down to third. NEOS made a splash, reaching fourth place, while ÖVP tumbled to fifth with a record-breaking loss.
- A New Chapter for ÖVP: Figl Now in Charge
- Greens Divide and Conquer: Margareten District Belongs to Them
- These Districts Belong to the Parties
After the bulk of mail-in and other ballots were tallied on Sunday, only a smidgen of the remaining votes were left to be counted on Monday, and surprise, surprise, it didn't drastically alter the outcome.
SPÖ Loses Slightly, but Still Dominates, FPÖ Breaks Records
The SPÖ ended up with 39.4% of the votes in the preliminary final result, a 2.2 percentage point loss compared to the 41.6% they pocketed in 2020. The FPÖ, rebounding from a crushing 2020 blow dubbed the Ibiza scandal, nearly tripled their support and landed at 20.4% of the votes. Their plus 13.2 percentage points isn't just a tremendous spike, but it's also the largest vote gain ever in a Vienna election. The Greens hung on to their voter share with 14.5%, shedding a meager 0.3 points from their 2020 percentage of 14.8%.
NEOS's District-by-District Surprise
The real shocker? NEOS managed to gain 2.5 points (2020: 7.5%) and, thanks to Monday's mail-in ballots, overtook the ÖVP, even crossing the 10% threshold for the first time in Vienna. To put it in perspective, NEOS experienced a 4.7% surge in the 1st District, but across Vienna, the support for NEOS isn't a precise 10% but varies slightly by district [4].
The ÖVP suffered a dramatic decline on Sunday, losing 10.8 percentage points from their 20.4% in 2020, marking the largest ever turquoise loss in the capital, and ending up with a measly 9.7% [5]. The final showdown between NEOS and ÖVP came down to the mail-in ballots.
The voter turnout was 62.7% of eligible voters, lower than in 2020 (65.3%).
SPÖ: A Jack of All Coalitions?
According to Foresight's forecasts, the SPÖ will have 43 mandates and could continue the coalition with their current partner, NEOS (10 mandates). A collaboration could also work with the ÖVP (10 mandates) or the Greens (15 seats in city parliament). Even a majority alliance with the FPÖ (22 seats) wouldn't be off the table, but it isn't something the SPÖ is keen on pursuing [5].
The KPOÖ, teaming up with Liste LINKS, and Team Strache all failed to clear the 5% hurdle, mustering 4.0% and 1.1%, respectively.
[4] Source: APA (Austrian Press Agency)[5] Source: ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation)
- The FPÖ recorded the largest vote gain ever in a Vienna election, with a 13.2 percentage point increase from previous years, surpassing the ÖVP and securing the second position.
- NEOS, having gained 2.5 points and surpassing the 10% threshold for the first time, beat the ÖVP across Vienna, albeit the support varies slightly by district.
- In the general news, it's thanks to mail-in ballots on Monday that the order of parties like NEOS and ÖVP changed significantly, altering the political landscape in Vienna.
- As the largest party, the SPÖ, with 39.4% of votes, can potentially maintain coalitions with NEOS, ÖVP, or the Greens, but a majority alliance with the FPÖ isn't off the table, despite not being something the SPÖ is eager to pursue.
