EU election poll

Quarrels show effect: NEOS overtake the Greens

A survey by the opinion research institute OGM shows that the quarrels surrounding their top candidate Lena Schilling (pictured on posters) could harm the Greens.(Bild: AFP/Joe Klamar)

A survey by the opinion research institute OGM shows that the squabbles surrounding their lead candidate Lena Schilling could be hurting the Greens. According to the survey, the Greens lost ground slightly and were pushed into fifth place by the NEOS, which made slight gains. The FPÖ remains the clear favorite for first place.

Four weeks before the EU elections, the Freedom Party is stable at 26% according to the OGM survey for the "Kurier" (they achieved 17.2% in the 2019 EU elections; note) and thus clearly in first place. Even the espionage affair surrounding former constitutional protection officer Egisto Ott, in which blue party members are also involved, has apparently had no impact on the FPÖ's poll ratings. 

ÖVP and SPÖ are fighting for second place
There is also little movement compared to previous polls for the ÖVP and SPÖ, which are still fighting for second place. According to OGM, the two parties are tied at 22%. This would mean particularly large losses for the People's Party compared to the last election (34.6%), while the SPÖ is also not making any headway in the polls (2019: 23.9%).

KPÖ clearly misses out on entry into EU Parliament
However, according to OGM, the actual impact of the Schilling case is not yet foreseeable, as the allegations against the lead candidate only became public during the first day of the survey. According to the survey, the KPÖ would clearly miss out on a place in the European Parliament with two percent.

Two thirds of Austrians want to vote
According to the survey, the willingness to go to the polls is relatively high. 66% of respondents said they were "very certain" to vote. At the last EU election in 2019, voter turnout was 59.8%, which was significantly higher than in previous years. 

For the OGM survey, 1007 Austrians eligible to vote were interviewed between 7 and 8 May (fluctuation margin 3.1%).