Election thriller in Innsbruck

Now ex-ÖVP candidate wants to oust Green Willi from the throne

Will Johannes Anzengruber (left) create a sensation in the run-off election against incumbent Georg Willi?

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Pure drama on Sunday in the Innsbruck municipal council and mayoral elections: Green Party incumbent Georg Willi achieved an unexpected victory. He came first in the direct election with 22.9 percent. And there was also a big upset: former ÖVP deputy mayor Johannes Anzengruber (JA - Jetzt Innsbruck) also made it into the run-off on April 28 with 19.4 percent.

Following internal disputes, Anzengruber was expelled from the People's Party and voted out as deputy mayor. He set up his own list, ran in the Innsbruck election and actually managed the sensation: second place in the list election, second place in the direct mayoral election.

Will Johannes Anzengruber (left) create a sensation in the run-off election against incumbent Georg Willi?

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Will Willi's term of office be over after one term?
Meaning: the former ÖVP candidate will face incumbent Georg Willi in the run-off election on 28 April - and wants to oust the Green (Willi was elected the first Green mayor of a provincial capital in 2018) from the throne after just one term in office.

FPÖ experiences a blue miracle, ÖVP flops
FPÖ mayoral candidate Markus Lassenberger did not make it into the run-off, only coming third with 15.9 percent. The Freedom Party candidate was even considered the top favorite in the run-up to the election. Fourth place went to SPÖ candidate Elisabeth Mayr (15.2 percent).

Florian Tursky was still optimistic when he cast his vote with his girlfriend on Sunday morning.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Former ÖVP state secretary Florian Tursky, who ran with the conservative alliance "Das Neue Innsbruck", suffered a heavy defeat. He was far behind in the direct election with only 10.4 percent. 

Greens also in first place in the list election
According to the provisional final result, the Greens also won the list election with 18.9 percent. They lost a few percentage points compared to 2018 (2018: 24.2%). They lost two seats and now hold eight out of 40 municipal council seats. Here, too, Anzengruber came in second place on his first appearance: the former ÖVP deputy mayor took 16.8% and an equally strong eight seats.

He was followed by the FPÖ with 15.2 percent and seven seats (2018: 18.56 percent and eight seats). The SPÖ came fourth with 13.6% and six seats - an increase on the 10.32% and four seats they achieved in the last election .

Communists also make it in
The performance of Tursky's "Das Neue Innsbruck" was also disappointing. It only managed 10.2 percent and four seats. Also represented in the future municipal council: The KPÖ (3 mandates), Liste Fritz (2 mandates) and the Alternative Liste Innsbruck (ALI, 2 mandates).

A three-party coalition in Innsbruck in the future?
In terms of a possible coalition after the election, which will probably only be negotiated after the run-off, a large window is opening up for a center-left variant, for example in the form of a three-party coalition. This is because the Greens, the Anzengruber grouping and the SPÖ would have a total of 22 municipal council seats.