New State Parliament: Styria Votes on 24 November
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Loading... - Ryker Dube
- 05 Jul 2024
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Styria will elect a new state parliament on November 24th, with Christopher Drexler needing to defend the governor's seat for the ÖVP. Additionally, the Styrian local council election is scheduled for March 23rd, 2025.
There had been speculation about whether Styria would hold state parliament elections a few months earlier, similar to 2019. At that time, ÖVP governor Hermann Schützenhöfer capitalized on the Sebastian Kurz hype, securing a significant victory with 36% of the vote.
This time, however, the outlook is not as favorable for Schützenhöfer's successor, Christopher Drexler. The ÖVP has experienced losses in recent elections, including the European Parliament elections. Polls consistently show the FPÖ leading in Styria, despite a financial scandal in Graz and ongoing investigations against their top candidate, Mario Kunasek, who denies all allegations.
On November 24th, Styrians will vote for the third time this year, following the EU elections in June and the National Council elections in September. This date is the last possible option for the state parliament election.
"Our government stands for trusting cooperation in the interests of the people of Styria. We will work until the last day," emphasized Drexler and his SPÖ deputy Anton Lang in a joint statement. They appealed to all parties to treat each other fairly.
Within the ÖVP, there is concern that the FPÖ under Herbert Kickl will triumph in the National Council elections, potentially leading to a coalition excluding the Freedom Party. Drexler supports the black-red coalition as in Styria. If the FPÖ, as the federal election winner, is left out of a coalition, it could further mobilize their voters in Styria, posing a risk Drexler has to contend with.
Despite recent struggles, Anton Lang of the SPÖ still has a chance of coming in first. The amicable Leobener is known for avoiding political controversy, which might be a successful approach during times of political discontent.
Surveys indicate that the KPÖ can expect gains, while the Greens may struggle to replicate their strong 2019 result, achieved during the peak of the "Fridays for Future" movement (12%). The NEOS hope to increase their representation in the state parliament from two to three seats.
