Novak: Basically "already a very good result"

The first trend forecasts for the Vienna municipal council election on Sunday were received with applause at the SPÖ in the town hall club. State party secretary Barbara Novak showed a purposefully optimistic initial reaction. "Not a single vote has been counted yet," she emphasized, noting that a long election evening lay ahead. Basically, 37 percent would "already be a very good result" and a great vote of confidence for Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), Novak stated.

The SPÖ is clearly the strongest party in terms of votes, and Ludwig is expected to remain the mayor of the federal capital, said the state party secretary. She explained the losses with the general trend that governing parties tend to lose in elections after the crisis years with the pandemic, the Ukraine war, and inflation.

The SPÖ did not plan an election party for the evening, probably also because they anticipated at least slight losses. Officially, it is said that the officials are busy counting the votes until the late hours and have no time to celebrate.

SPÖ Burgenland congratulates, but with a jab at the federal government

The SPÖ Burgenland congratulated their Vienna party colleagues, but state manager Kevin Friedl further stated: "Today's result also shows very clearly that the federal government in its current constellation, which is primarily burdened with dismantling the ÖVP debt legacy, does not mean a tailwind for social democracy."

Vienna. Nevertheless, the SPÖ Vienna was able to "convince and achieve a strong result," said Friedl. He also referred to the result of the Burgenland state election in January: "With today, it is also evident in retrospect how strong social democracy as a state governor party with Hans Peter Doskozil performed with 46.38 percent on January 19, 2025."

ÖVP state manager sees election goal achieved in Vienna election

The Vienna ÖVP state manager Peter Sverak sees an election goal of his party achieved in the Vienna election: "We are definitely capable of governing," he said after the publication of the first trend forecast. This predicts the ÖVP a result of 11.5 percent, a decrease of about 9 percentage points. The desired SPÖ-ÖVP coalition would thus be feasible, Sverak said at the party headquarters.

The officials responded with restrained applause to the forecast. Sverak pointed out that different conditions prevailed compared to the 2020 election. The ÖVP has "historically always had it a bit more difficult" in Vienna.

There were words of praise for the "solid" election campaign: The People's Party took clear positions and focused strongly on issues - such as security, education, health, and the economy.

The trend forecast says the same as all previous surveys, said state parliament member Harald Zierfuß to the APA. The SPÖ must enter into a coalition with the ÖVP if it takes the problems in Vienna seriously, he said. The exploratory talks should be led by top candidate Karl Mahrer.

For state parliament member Ingrid Korosec, Mahrer was also the right top candidate. After the departure of former party leader Sebastian Kurz from politics, the other state parties also suffered losses in elections, she said about the trend forecast result. Korosec also hopes for a coalition with the SPÖ. Opposition work is of course also interesting, "but you can shape things in government." The chances of this are high, as she considers Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) a pragmatist.

FPÖ cautiously celebrates

The Freedom Party is celebrating the preliminary figures for the Vienna election, albeit cautiously. "If this trend should solidify, then it would be a tripling and thus a great success for the FPÖ," said state party secretary Lukas Brucker to the APA in light of the first trend forecast. "We conducted a sensational election campaign with Dominik Nepp, and the Viennese increasingly desire more security and fairness."

Officially, the FPÖ, which followed the election outcome partly in a wine tavern next to the town hall, did not want to celebrate yet. "This is only a forecast and not a projection with concrete voter numbers. Therefore, these data should be taken with great caution," Brucker initially qualified. A statement from party leader and top candidate Nepp is expected only after the first projection.

In the FPÖ, the joy over the performance in the Vienna election according to the trend forecast was naturally high. Several state party leaders congratulated top candidate Dominik Nepp remarkably quickly after the first numbers were announced and saw it primarily as a signal to federal politics.

The Viennese made "a clear decision" for "more fairness, more social justice, and a policy that finally takes the concerns of Austrians seriously," said Salzburg's deputy governor Marlene Svazek. She sees the FPÖ's performance as "a vote of confidence for the Freedom Party," but also a "clear signal to the entire federal politics."

Similarly, Upper Austria's deputy governor Manfred Haimbuchner: "The blue wave of success continues to roll, and the Viennese have sent a signal for the desire for change at the ballot box. However, this result is also a clear rejection of the federal government." He was also pleased not only that the FPÖ could triple its result but also about "the historically worst result of the comrades in the federal capital."

The Styrian Governor Mario Kunasek congratulated Nepp almost word for word: "The voters have thus sent a strong signal for change in the federal capital and confirmed the honest path of the FPÖ, which puts people at the center. Dominik Nepp took over the party in 2019 during a difficult phase and has led it to a well-deserved success for the Viennese population today with straightforward work."

The FPÖ was able to "impressively win" the trust of the Viennese, said the Burgenland state party chairman Alexander Petschnig in a statement. It has been shown that people are "looking for a real alternative to the red-black power cartel," Petschnig also saw a "clear mandate" for the Freedom Party.

The blue faction leader in the EU Parliament, Harald Vilimsky, also does not expect a coalition in the federal capital. In view of the emerging numbers, the Viennese sees the course of the Freedom Party also confirmed in terms of content. "These issues will have to be considered by anyone who wants to govern in this city," he said in an initial reaction. In any case, Vilimsky is "extremely" pleased with the result for the Freedom Party. Other blue officials also spoke of a "rebirth" of the party in Vienna on election night.

Greens hope for "solid result" in Vienna election

With cautious optimism, the Green state party leader Peter Kraus reacted to the trend forecast for the Vienna election. The figures are "not yet a result," but are "slightly above the last surveys," he told APA. If the 12.5 percent is confirmed, it would be a "solid result," said Kraus. Especially when looking at the surveys from a year ago, where the Greens were significantly lower. Overall, it could be exciting, said the party leader.

He hopes for an election result that follows this trend. The majority of the previous city government of SPÖ and NEOS is "shaking considerably," judged Kraus. Then there is a decision for the SPÖ and Mayor Michael Ludwig between the ÖVP and thus "towards concrete" or the Greens for the "most livable city." Kraus himself wants to continue leading the city party together with top candidate Judith Pühringer.

Similarly, the Green club chairman in the town hall, David Ellensohn, expressed: "Even more would be even better," he said on "Puls24." However, the trend forecast is "much better" than the expectations at the beginning of the year. Ellensohn saw affordable housing as an important task for the next city government. A vacancy tax could only be implemented by the SPÖ with the Greens, which would "bring money into the coffers." And that is necessary because: "Unfortunately, Vienna has a large deficit."

Green state leaders hope for coalition with SPÖ

The Greens sense a chance for Red-Green, as - at least according to the trend forecast - Red-Pink in Vienna is no longer feasible. Burgenland's Green spokesperson Anja Haider-Wallner spoke of an "encouraging result." A "coalition for climate protection, affordable housing, and social cohesion" is certainly possible, said Haider-Wallner, herself deputy governor in a red-green state government.

Vienna. A "good day for us Greens" was seen in an initial reaction by Gebi Mair from the Tyrolean Green leadership. Red-Pink did not receive the trust of the electorate for another term, the ÖVP is not a stable option as a "clear election loser." "Therefore, there is now the chance for a red-green change in Vienna, which I am very pleased about," said Mair. The Greens started the election campaign at a low level and noticed the tailwind for the party with Leonore Gewessler. The SPÖ must now decide whether it is with the Greens for real social and environmental policy, "we are ready."

KPÖ Top Candidate Satisfied with Trend Forecasts

Despite likely missing entry into the municipal council, the Vienna KPÖ expressed satisfaction with the initial trend forecasts on Sunday. "If the four percent holds, we are really very satisfied," said Barbara Urbanic, top candidate of the joint list of KPÖ and LINKS, to the APA. This would mean a doubling compared to the result of the last Vienna election. "That would be a great confirmation for us that we are on the right path," said Urbanic.

Even if it is not enough for entry this time, it will work out next time, the KPÖ politician consoled herself. The election campaign was very difficult for small parties due to the short notice of the election. The communists hope for "very strong" gains in the district council elections, where they currently hold 23 mandates in 15 districts.

KPÖ federal spokesperson Tobias Schweiger sees the predicted performance of his party in the Vienna election with a four percent vote share as a "historic election result," regardless of whether the five percent hurdle is ultimately cleared or not. Speaking to ORF on Sunday evening before the first counting results were available, he emphasized that it certainly looks like a doubling, after the KPÖ was just over two percent in the 2020 alliance with LINKS.

Vienna. "Unfortunately, fortune-telling is not a communist trait, but with four percent we would of course be satisfied," said Schweiger. The hurdle in Vienna is a special case and hard to crack. In any other federal state, one would be in the state parliament with four percent. Schweiger expects a strengthening in the districts in any case and is generally pleased with the growing support.

Everything about the Vienna Election

(APA/Red)

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