Vienna Election: FPÖ Appeals at Campaign Conclusion for a "Warning" to SPÖ
At the symbolic Vienna Stephansplatz, the FPÖ officially ended their campaign for the municipal council election on Thursday evening. Federal party leader Herbert Kickl and top candidate Dominik Nepp urged their supporters at the closing rally to give the SPÖ of Mayor Michael Ludwig a "lesson" in the election on Sunday - for the "midwifery of the loser coalition" at the federal level and all "sins" in Vienna's municipal politics.
FPÖ Campaign Finale Held in Vienna
Hundreds of supporters of the Blues gathered in the late afternoon on the south side of St. Stephen's Cathedral in front of the huge FPÖ stage, where the John Otti Band created a lively atmosphere with loud music. Nepp once again criticized "the unfair system" in Vienna with "700 asylum millions solely in the area of minimum security."
The Vienna FPÖ leader deliberately compared migrants from Syria and Afghanistan who have come to Austria since 2015 with earlier immigrants from other countries, namely former Yugoslavia and Turkey, who also find the "redistribution" unfair and would support the FPÖ. Once again, Nepp promised the establishment of a Corona investigative committee in Vienna if the FPÖ achieves the necessary 25 mandates.
"Project People's Chancellor Not Abandoned"
The Freedom Party will once again emerge as the big winner on Sunday, as it did in the last elections, predicted Kickl, who, as at the campaign kickoff, provided support for Nepp. And every electoral success brings the FPÖ a giant step closer to its great goal. "The project People's Chancellor is not abandoned, it is only postponed," the federal party leader promised his supporters once again.
Quite aggressively, Kickl attacked "this bland Mr. Ludwig", who he claimed was no better than Nepp, whom he praised as smart, brave, and handsome. Similarly, the Vienna club chairman Maximilian Krauss hoped for "a blue miracle" on election night to "put this schnitzel-faced Ludwig in his place".
Kickl sees "good omen" for Vienna election
There was also a clear jab from Kickl towards the church. He stated that they were "under the patronage of the Steffl", because "this place belongs to all Viennese", referring to criticism from the Archdiocese in advance of the event in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral. The minutes-long ringing of the bells, which drowned out his speech, was interpreted by Kickl as a "good omen" for the election.
The Archdiocese of Vienna had distanced itself from the FPÖ election campaign event in advance. "We would not approve of the appropriation of St. Stephen's Cathedral for party-political purposes," explained the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Vienna, Michael Prüller. The diocese has "no right to object to events" - even if in the public perception "this place is very closely associated with St. Stephen's Cathedral", it was emphasized. Due to complaints at similar events in the past about disruptive or supposedly supportive bell ringing, it was clarified that the bell ringing takes place as usual during prayer and mass times.
The Freedom Party was the first to conclude their official election campaign among the parties represented in the city council, with SPÖ, ÖVP, Greens, and NEOS to follow on Friday afternoon.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.