Prestige and money

EU election success brings FPÖ up to 4.3 million euros

Top candidate Harald Vilimsky and FPÖ federal party chairman Herbert Kickl

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

There was hardly any doubt about the FPÖ's victory with top candidate Harald Vilimsky in the European elections from the outset, but it was not nearly as clear-cut as expected on Sunday afternoon (25.5 percent). There was a lack of voter support, especially in larger cities. In addition to political prestige, the FPÖ's success has also brought up to 4.3 million euros into its campaign coffers. In addition, most of the votes were won from the ÖVP and non-voters.

Success in the European elections brings the FPÖ not only political prestige but also a lot of money for the campaign coffers. The Freedom Party can secure up to 4.3 million euros from the "special party funding" for the European elections. They are closely followed by the ÖVP and SPÖ. In total, the parties will receive "special party funding" of 2.5 euros per eligible voter for the EU elections - a total of 15.9 million euros.

Election campaign budgets not officially quantified
Exactly how much money the parties can collect is not yet known. This is because only what the parties have actually spent on election campaign costs will be reimbursed. And in the run-up to the election, the three major parties FPÖ, ÖVP and SPÖ have not officially quantified their campaign budgets.

The legal upper limit was 8.66 million euros for the period between March 26 and election day on June 9. The FPÖ could receive 4.3 million euros from this, followed by the ÖVP with 4.2 million euros and the SPÖ, which could receive up to 3.9 million euros from the special funding. The Greens and NEOS are entitled to around 1.8 and 1.7 million euros respectively.

FPÖ most likely to weaken in cities
If there is currently a weak point for the FPÖ among voters, it is the larger cities. Of the cities with a population of over 100,000, only the smallest was above the national average, namely Klagenfurt with 27.4 percent, which corresponds to an increase of almost nine percentage points. At least over 20 percent, namely 21.9 percent, was achieved in Linz.

The federal capital is some way off this. With 18.6 percent, the FPÖ achieved an increase of 4.2 percent in Vienna. While they are strong in individual outer districts, especially in Simmering with 31.2 percent, the Freedom Party has little to report within the Gürtel.

Top candidate Harald Vilimsky and FPÖ federal party chairman Herbert Kickl

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

A plus almost everywhere
Overall, the result in Austria's second largest city, Graz, was even lower than in Vienna, where only 17.3 percent were able to warm to the Freedom Party. Things went a little better in Innsbruck with 18.5 percent and in Salzburg with 18.9 percent. It is probably comforting for the FPÖ that even where things are not going so well, such as in rural regions, there was a plus almost everywhere.

FPÖ won most votes from ÖVP and non-voters
Of the 1.3 million Turkish voters from 2019, around 221,000 opted for blue this time. The FPÖ also scored points among non-voters, from whom it gained around 100,000 votes. Of the approximately 905,000 former SPÖ voters, around 42,000 switched to the FPÖ. There were few departures from the blue camp.