Major successes for the FPÖ

Blue success train rushes unchecked through Carinthia

The blue success train rushes through Carinthia.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

The Freedom Party can celebrate considerable successes in Carinthia. The blue party won the most votes in eight out of ten districts. Only in the districts of Hermagor and Völkermarkt did the FPÖ go head-to-head with the SPÖ and ÖVP. The "Krone" analyzes the Carinthian election results.

Among the top 10 municipalities with the highest share of votes for the Freedom Party are six Carinthian municipalities. First and foremost Stall im Mölltal, where the Freedom Party with Carinthian top candidate Elisabeth Dieringer-Granza won 56.2 percent of the vote. And while the Blue Party has every reason to celebrate, the other parties have a lot to take.

Major defeat for the People's Party
The Carinthian election result is sure to have left the ÖVP with long faces. Despite the young leading candidate Julian Geier, the People's Party suffered a hefty loss of 9.9 percent, putting it in third place in Carinthia. 

Only in the traditionally black/turkish district of Hermagor was the ÖVP able to defend its position as number one, dropping out of the EU election ring with 29.6 percent. Lesachtal may also have played a part in this. The People's Party won 52.5 percent there, but also suffered a drop of 9.5 percent.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Adobe Stock)

SPÖ was able to save its last stronghold
But it is not only the People's Party that is licking its wounds after the EU elections. The Red Party also suffered a loss, even if it seems small compared to the ÖVP at 2.8 percent. But the SPÖ also suffered a drop of 4.9 percent in the otherwise strong district of Villach-Land. However, the Red Party suffered its biggest drop (11.3 percent) in the municipality of Zell. On the other hand, the Freedom Party made considerable gains there with 10.2 percent.

Only the red district of Völkermarkt was defended by the SPÖ. There, the Social Democrats fought a neck-and-neck race with the Freedom Party and just managed to win the EU election with 67 votes.

Green country without the Greens
While the Greens just about managed to save themselves throughout Austria after their numerous scandals, Schilling and Co. lost a lot of ground in Carinthia. Here, the Greens received just 6.4 percent; only in Burgenland did they receive fewer votes.

Not even one in two went to the polls
Even in the run-up to the EU elections, there was a lot of discussion and betting about voter turnout. While some predicted a turnout of less than 30 percent, others were convinced that many more Carinthians would make the journey to the ballot box. And the latter were proved right. 

Of the approximately 434,000 Carinthians entitled to vote, around 213,000 went to the ballot box. This puts the voter turnout at 49.2 percent. In 2019, 52.1% voted for their representatives in the EU Parliament.