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SPECIAL REPORT All Parliament’s a Stage On October 15, Austrians will head to the polls to t’s late September and posters of elect a new parliament – in election. FPÖ campaign volunteer Reinhard high drama, in vivid colors, suddenly Wansch, 33, puts succinctly why he appear all over Vienna. They show the most elaborate piece supports his party: “I know that I can count heroic poses and arcane tokens, of theater the Alpine on H.C. Strache and the FPÖ. Much in this heralding tales of intrigue and country is just unfair, particularly toward us passion, power and righteousness. Eagerly Republic has on offer Austrians, and the FPÖ is the only party that Iawaited by the Viennese, the magic flute wants to change that.” BY BENJAMIN WOLF gleams from the billboards, promising a new The 2016 nail-biter presidential election and stunning staging of Mozart’s beloved brought home this momentous shift when, opera Die Zauberflöte,premiering this fall. erstwhile leader Jörg Haider, who led them for the first time in the history of the Second And right next to them, the new election into two governments before splitting off to Republic, both candidates of the main posters, aiming to carry Austrians off in their found his own short-lived BZÖ, it fell to parties were eliminated in the first round. very own world of make-believe. Faced with “H.C.” to painstakingly rebuild the FPÖ The final runoff pitted the Freedom Party’s the most important legislative elections in a brand. After ten years of railing against the Norbert Hofer against the independent decade, Austrian voters find themselves on a eternal Grand Coalition, reinstituted in (former Green) Alexander Van der Bellen. quest to chart the right path. The results of 2006 after the defeat of Wolfgang Schüssel’s After an election rerun on December 4, coalition and linked his strong presence turquoise color instead of black. They also the elections – potentially delivering any- first-ever Blue-Black (FPÖ-ÖVP) govern- 2016, the widely respected Van der Bellen on social media with policies to promote ÖVP frontrunner Sebastian Kurz (left), 31, claim to be building a “movement,” thing from a center-right government with ment, it was the backlash to the refugee was elected president with 53.79% of the “startup culture” and make Austria fit for enjoys the highest popularity ratings of all including several candidates from outside Europe’s youngest head of state to a left- summer of 2015 that ushered the FPÖ to vote (a substantial gain over the invalidated the digital age. The PR blitz culminated in leading candidates. Christian Kern, 51, gave the the ranks of career politicians. “Sebastian leaning patchwork coalition, unprecedented first place in the polls. first round, at a wafer-thin 50.3%). With the a skillfully staged presentation of Kern’s SPÖ a boost when taking over his party in May Kurz was the only one who always had an in the history of the Second Republic – will While Austrians opened their doors and far right still strong, the next parliamentary ambitious manifesto to overhaul the Aus- 2016, but is now struggling. open ear for student issues and who sin- have repercussions far beyond the country’s hearts for more than 80,000 refugees in just election, it seemed, was the FPÖ’s to lose. trian state, the “Plan A,” in January 2017. cerely cares for the interests of the young,” borders. And so, as the audience settles into one year, the Freedom Party concocted a This resonated with many, particularly DEUS EX MACHINA insists Andreas Jilly, 25, former chair- their seats, this year’s crop of players slips winning mixture. Blending suspicion K. & K. TO THE RESCUE younger supporters of the Social Demo- After becoming foreign minister in 2013, man of the ÖVP’s student association into their roles and does their best to land the against immigration with exasperation But lose it they well might. Spooked by the crats. “I share the SPÖ’s principles – free- and even more following the refugee AktionsGemeinschaft (AG) and candi- leading part in the upcoming production of about the endless feuding between the gov- disastrous first round of the presidential dom, equality, fairness and solidarity – surge of 2015, Kurz gradually changed date for the parliamentary elections. the Republic’s 26th National Council. erning Social Democrats (SPÖ) and Conser- elections, the Social Democrats traded their one hundred percent,” says David tack and began to forcefully demand a “That’s how politics should look: Creating vatives (ÖVP), the party also profited from hap less chancellor, Werner Faymann, for Kranebitter, 26, party assistant in Tyrol. stricter immigration policy, both for and shaping matters together and listen- AN ELECTION TO LOSE the implosion of other populist outliers like Christian Kern, the sleek and savvy CEO of “The SPÖ is the only party presenting a Austria and on the European level. It was ing to people instead of patronizing them.” It was supposed to be his moment in the Team Stronach, an Austro-Canadian the state railways ÖBB, easing public frus- positive vision of Austria. Our leading he, we kept hearing, who closed the West- And indeed, Kurz’s ascension as chair- spotlight. Heinz-Christian Strache, chair- billionaire’s vanity campaign that had tration and perhaps saving the presidency candidate Christian Kern is experienced ern Balkan route in March 2016, some- man of the ÖVP in May 2017 led to a man of the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ), siphoned off protest votes at the 2013 for Van der Bellen. It also revived the SPÖ’s and competent, and he has already taken thing he did have a hand in, thus stem- sharp ten-point jump in the poll numbers took over in 2005 when it was at rock bot- fortunes in the polls. As chancellor, Kern on responsibility on several occasions in ming the flow of refugees to Central of his party, showcasing his broad elector- tom. Deprived of their charismatic attempted to galvanize the moribund COMMONS; WIKIMEDIA (X2); / PICTUREDESK.COM APA HOCHMUTH / GEORG RIGHT: TO FROM LEFT THIS PAGE: PHOTOS: NEUBAUER HERBERT RIGHT: TO FROM LEFT PAGE: NEXT / PICTUREDESK.COM; NEWS VERLAGSGRUPPE / RENE PROHASKA SPÖ PRESSE UND KOMMUNIKATION. / PICTUREDESK.COM; APA / his life.” Europe. This last claim was more doubt- al appeal and relegating the FPÖ and the This quip might well refer to Kern’s ful: By March 2016 the numbers had SPÖ to second and third place, respec- strongest competitor in the match for already fallen to the level of mid-2014. tively. This is all the more remarkable be- Austria’s chancellorship: ÖVP party chief Then the winter weather and accelerat- cause Kurz was taking over his post from Sebastian Kurz. The talented Mr. Kurz, ing repatriations all added up. Still, it was Vice Chancellor and economics and young, silver-tongued and photogenic, a clear message to disenchanted voters science minister Reinhold Mitterlehner, a has been building his personal nimbus leaning toward the FPÖ: Vote Kurz and stout proponent of Austria’s time proven since joining the government as “boy get law, order and a promised new style in model of social partnership and incre- wonder” in 2011. Serving two years as in- politics without having to opt for the troll. mental compromise, who had fallen prey tegration secretary, he used the position This is also reflected in the new name of to the Conservatives’ internal sniping to tout tolerance and stronger efforts to the Conservatives on the ballot, now (not least fanned by Kurz himself). improve opportunities for immigrants “Liste Kurz – Die neue Volkspartei” (the Determined to tame the praying and their descendants in Austria. new People’s Party), complete with a new mantis that is the ÖVP, which with PHOTO: CEU / ZOLTAN TUBA CEU / ZOLTAN PHOTO: 40 octobert 2017 october 2017 41 Entgeltliche Einschaltung SPECIAL REPORT along with the party’s centrist liberalism on Changing Fortunes societal and economic questions, would The right-wing FPÖ led the polls for two years after the refugee surge of 2015. Since then, make the NEOS a valuable addition to any SPÖ and ÖVP have changed their party chiefs – with impressive results. coalition government. Source: Neuwal.com / Wahlumfragen / September 2015, 2016, 2017 The NEOS also joined forces with Irmgard Griss, a former president of the Austrian Others: 2% Others: 2% NEOS: 5% Pilz: 5% Supreme Court of Justice (OGH) who ran as NEOS: 6% NEOS: 7% Greens: 5% an independent in the 2016 presidential elections and fetched a remarkable 18.94%, Greens: 11% Greens: 14% ending up third. They run now under the ex- FPÖ: 25% tended name “NEOS – Alliance for Freedom FPÖ: 33% FPÖ: 35% ÖVP: 19% ÖVP: 33% and Responsibility” and poll stable at 5-7%. SPÖ: 23% SPÖ: 26% SPÖ: 25% The election will also see some also-rans, ÖVP: 21% most prominent the art-cum-protest “non-party” G!LT set up by Austrian come- dian Roland Düringer, the Communists (KPÖ) joining forces with the remainder of 2015 2016 2017 the expelled Green youth and the FLÖ, a far-right split-off of the FPÖ, among others. Mitterlehner had devoured and discarded Both parties now poll at 5%, just above the its fifth chairman in ten years, Kurz stipu parliamentary threshold of 4%. FINALE FURIOSO lated an exhaustive list of demands that Despite this internal turmoil, the Greens’ Until Election Day on October 15, the front- allowed him to reshape the party. Success- principles and convictions still attract many runners of Austria’s five leading parties fully, at least so far. While Kurz continues to citizens. “I want to live in an open-minded (excluding Pilz, much to his chagrin) will lead in the polls, Kern’s Social Democrats society, which faces up to reality and com- face each other more than 30 times on pub- struggle to regain their momentum, beset by mits itself to democracy and mutual lic and private TV – feeding the Austrians’ only thinly veiled factional disputes and a respect,” explains Gregor M., 32, technician appetite for political theater in every imag- botched start to their campaign (the SPÖ at a big Austrian industrial company.
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