Graz Election: FPÖ Sends Apfelknab as Top Candidate into the Race

The FPÖ's top candidate for the municipal council election in Graz in September 2026 is named René Apfelknab. The city and state party spoke of a significant course setting for the election. Apfelknab was previously deputy district chairman in Straßgang and since 2021 financial officer of the city party. After the FPÖ financial affair and the split of the Corruption-Free Municipal Council Club (KFG), it now only has one municipal councilor.

"Did Not Have the Easiest Time"

State party secretary and state parliament club chairman Marco Triller said on Wednesday at the presentation of Apfelknab as the top candidate: "We did not have the easiest time." Apfelknab has many years of municipal experience in the Straßgang district. He stands for values such as closeness to citizens, family, reliability, and is the spearhead that will bring fresh air into Graz city politics. As one of the next steps, Apfelknab will put together a team with which they will build on the last FPÖ results. "It's about a powerful result against a rather left-wing city policy that sets the wrong priorities. Graz must no longer serve as a field for left-wing experimental politics," said Triller.

The Graz city party chairman and member of the National Council Axel Kassegger emphasized that the FPÖ emerged as the winner from elections three times in 2024 and now, with Mario Kunasek, also provides the governor in Styria. "My task since March 2023 has been to bring calm and stability to the party, also to ensure that there is no quarrel and that camaraderie is lived again. This has been quite successful," said Kassegger, who also explained why he does not want to be the top candidate. He has his important tasks in the National Council and has always said from the beginning that he does not aspire to be the top candidate.

Kassegger's criteria for choosing the top candidate include the ability to take on leadership positions, loyalty to the Freedom Party, and the willingness to serve the people of Graz. Therefore, he and state party leader Mario Kunasek made this decision. The proposal was unanimously accepted with great applause at the city party leadership meeting on Tuesday evening.

Apfelknab Criticizes Graz City Government

Apfelknab said about himself that he had the opportunity to learn the craft from the ground up as a district politician: "Direct contact with citizens is very important to me." Now it is first about gaining recognition and further expanding proximity to citizens. This will be accomplished with a district tour through the city to listen to the concerns of the people with local officials. In late autumn, the program for Graz will be presented, and the campaign team will be announced at the end of the year.

"The city government has failed in economic, financial, and traffic matters, and it is not perceptible in security policy. It is about creating the framework conditions for trade, commerce, and industry. Furthermore, one must orient oneself to the necessities of a real mobility need and address Islamism as well as the imbalance in the social system - "immigration is indeed rolled out a dark red carpet in Graz," Apfelknab referred to the KPÖ-led city government of Communists, Greens, and SPÖ. He had not planned the career leap, he was approached one or two months ago whether he wanted to do it, Apfelknab said in response to journalists' questions. The election goal is a strong municipal council club and participation in the city government, at least a city senate seat, as also confirmed by state party secretary Triller.

FPÖ in Graz Election 2021 with 10.61 Percent

The FPÖ holds one mandate in the 48-member municipal council. In the municipal council election on September 26, 2021, the Freedom Party reached 10.61 percent, a decrease of 5.25 percentage points compared to 2017. In the course of the FPÖ financial affair, part of the mandate holders and the city councilor split from the Blues and founded the KFG (Corruption-Free Municipal Council Club).

About the person: René Apfelknab was born in 1970 and is a trained retail salesman. After military service, he pursued a career as a non-commissioned officer, including completing the Army Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in Enns. He completed his high school diploma through second-chance education. Currently, he is the deputy department head in the Federal Accounting Agency. He is the father of three now adult children and is in a partnership. He joined the FPÖ in 2015.

(APA/Red)

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