EU election

Vorarlberg’s candidates have little chance

These Vorarlbergers are standing in the EU elections on Sunday: Philipp Kreinbucher, Joachim Fritz, Christoph Gruber, Christine Schwarz-Fuchs and Johannes Hartmann.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Winfried Rothermel, zVg)

Nobody expects to make it into the EU Parliament due to the low positions on the list. However, this has not stopped any of the five candidates from getting involved in the election campaign. But what do they think about the European Union - and what do they want to change?

The number of MEPs will be increased from 705 to 720 after the election. For Austria, this means that in future 20 parliamentarians will represent the red-white-red interests in Brussels. In all likelihood, there will not be one Vorarlberger among them. Philipp Kreinbucher in seventh place on the SPÖ list is the one who probably has the best chances. Johannes Hartmann from the Greens is running in eighth place, Joachim Fritz from the FPÖ in seventh place. Christine Schwarz-Fuchs (ÖVP) was ranked tenth, NEOS candidate Christoph Gruber 14th.

Nevertheless, everyone was involved in the election campaign - whether it was to raise awareness for the regional elections in the fall or simply to provide information about the EU or to campaign for a united Europe.

The Vorarlberg NEOS leader Claudia Gamon still has an EU mandate.

(Bild: Stiplovsek Dietmar)

The election results in 2019 show just how difficult it is to win an EU mandate. The ÖVP received the most votes (34.55%) and was able to send seven MEPs. The NEOS won exactly one mandate in 2019. This fell to lead candidate Claudia Gamon. The only woman from Vorarlberg in parliament is now concentrating on state politics and will not be standing for election on Sunday.

The people of Vorarlberg are called upon to cast their vote on Sunday.

(Bild: APA/EXPA/PETER RINDERER)

However, EU mandates are not out of reach for Vorarlbergers. With Hans-Peter Martin (initially on the SPÖ list, then as the lead candidate of his own party) and Herbert Bösch, two Vorarlbergers have held a seat in the European Parliament for 15 and 14 years respectively. Hans-Peter Martin was in Brussels from 1999 to 2014, Herbert Bösch from 1995 to 2009.

A portrait of the five candidates

Christine Schwarz-Fuchs (ÖVP): The 49-year-old from Lustenau has long been well-known in business circles. In 2019, she was elected first Vice President of the Vorarlberg Federation of Industry. In 2020, she took over the Federal Council mandate from Magnus Brunner. She is not expecting an EU mandate - even though she invested more time than planned in the election campaign and took part in all the discussion rounds: "My main focus was on talking to people. I tried to inform people about the work and advantages of the EU." Of course, not everything runs smoothly in Brussels, which is why it is also about improving things. In the economic sector, for example: "There have been 850 new regulations for companies in the past period, which are now suffocating in bureaucracy." If she could change something at EU level, she would therefore tackle the reduction of bureaucracy. "But it would also be important to invest more money in development aid to strengthen agriculture in fast-growing countries in Asia and Africa." A first step to prevent people suffering from hunger from making their way to Europe.

Joachim Fritz (FPÖ): The Mittelberger has worked as a police officer for 30 years. "Migration and security - these are also the topics I'm well versed in. I'm not such an expert when it comes to the economy," admits Joachim Fritz openly. In 2015, when the refugees arrived, he was at the Spielfeld border crossing: "No checks were possible, the state was overrun." The protection of the external borders is still not working - and that is why this is one of his biggest concerns. In addition, the EU mandataries should once again focus more on the issues of prosperity, freedom and peace and pull out all the stops to end the war in Ukraine. Incidentally, the 49-year-old describes himself as an absolute supporter of the EU: "I was born in Kleinwalsertal, which was part of the German economic area before joining the EU. I therefore enjoyed cross-border cooperation from an early age." For him, the greatest achievement of the EU is the freedom to travel: "As a musician who performed all over Europe with a party band for 32 years, I particularly enjoyed that."

Philipp Kreinbucher (SPÖ): Having grown up with travel restrictions and the many different currencies, Styrian-born Philipp Kreinbucher (38) sees the free movement of people and goods as well as the free movement of workers as the greatest achievements of the European Union. "It is important to preserve the EU as it is and to defend the basic framework against right-wing extremist parties." He also identified a clear need for improvement in some areas: "It bothers me immensely that individual states such as Hungary are pulling us through the ring by the reins and that we can be blackmailed by this unanimity principle." It is also unnecessary for the entire Parliament to move from Brussels to Strasbourg once a year: "This must be abolished, the relocation only costs money and you can no longer explain this to the population!" In order to survive economically in the future, it is important to bring industrial companies back to the EU and end dependence on other countries - for example for medicines. "To achieve this, the infrastructure, e.g. a cross-border rail network, must also function."

Johannes Hartmann (Greens): The trained health and nursing professional has made a name for himself as an active member of "Fridays for Future". Johannes Hartmann has been campaigning for environmental and climate protection for years. Current political developments - the ongoing climate crisis and the shift to the right in Europe - have prompted the man from Schoppernau to run for office. What fascinates him about Brussels: "You can see that cooperation can work at an international level. That gives hope for climate protection." He is concerned that the right-wing parties are gaining ground. The very forces that would jeopardize the EU's achievements in human rights and climate protection. In addition to the renaturation law, which should be implemented urgently, the 28-year-old would like to see further measures in the "European Green Deal", i.e. the package of political initiatives with which the EU wants to promote nature conservation and climate protection. Democracy should also be strengthened, youth participation expanded and the principle of unanimity discussed.

Christoph Gruber (NEOS): "In Europe, we have more in common than many people think. We need to understand that we have to sit down together to find solutions," says Christoph Gruber. The major challenges in terms of security, climate protection and infrastructure can only be solved together - and this is precisely the great advantage of the EU. There is room for improvement, especially in the decision-making process: "The unanimity principle means that someone like Viktor Orbán can block the progress of the entire Union on his own," says the 34-year-old with annoyance. The father of two from Zwischenwasser is a founding member of the Pinken party, was a parliamentary assistant to Matthias Strolz and now earns his living as a controlling manager in an industrial company in Vorarlberg. Even if an EU mandate is illusory with 14th place on the list, he has clear ideas about what should change in Brussels: "I would like to see a real EU government with more powers and direct election of the Commission President. Then the EU will have the capacity to act that it needs."