Green preference votes

List runner-up Waitz is currently ahead of Schilling

Green Party leader Werner Kogler announced that the candidates would settle the question of the delegation leadership among themselves.

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Thomas Waitz, second on the Green Party list, has so far received significantly more preferential votes than top candidate Lena Schilling. As a result, the farmer will take over the leadership of the Brussels and Strasbourg delegations instead of the first candidate on the list. However, the party has announced that they want to fight together.

As in the previous period, the MEP with the most parliamentary experience will take over the leadership of the delegation. Waitz: "I am very much looking forward to the next few years of cooperation in Brussels and Strasbourg. Lena and I will make a strong team and rock it."

Schilling obviously took it sportingly and announced: "Like the Löw:innen, we will fight for climate, environmental and nature conservation." This task is more important - and also more challenging - than ever.

Green Party leader Werner Kogler announced that the candidates would decide among themselves who would lead the delegation.

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Schilling far behind
Waitz had already said before the election that he could imagine a split leadership of the delegation. This is not "the top position that everyone is vying for", but "extra work without extra money and without extra staff." For a candidate to be ranked first in the EU elections, they need at least five percent of their own party's preference votes.

This is not the top position that everyone is vying for, but extra work without extra money and without extra staff.

Thomas Waitz zur Delegationsleitung

Bild: Tschepp Markus

The runner-up Waitz had overtaken Schilling in the preferential vote race in seven federal states and was therefore the logical option for the delegation leadership. The farmer even came first in the federal capital. He received 24,618 preferential votes in Vienna, while Lena Schilling received 13,648 according to the preliminary results. That was enough for fourth place.

In Salzburg, only the Green Party's second-placed candidate overtook the first-placed candidate. Waitz also overtook Schilling in Upper and Lower Austria. The Styrian organic farmer and EU parliamentarian finished ahead of the climate activist in all five constituencies in Upper Austria.

Home advantage in Styria
In Styria, Waitz was able to make full use of his home advantage: The farmer, who lives in Leutschach in southern Styria, scored 10,945 preferential votes, while Schilling only managed less than half that number, namely 5,200. The runner-up is also ahead in Vorarlberg and Tyrol. There will only be final clarity in the course of the week.

Lena Schilling and Thomas Waitz

(Bild: APA/Erwin Scheriau)

Austria has a total of 20 MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg, six of whom will be from the FPÖ, five each from the ÖVP and SPÖ, and two each from the Greens and NEOS. This means that both Schilling and Waitz are or will be active in the European Parliament.

The provisional result is based on the count on election Sunday. On Monday afternoon, the polling cards still arriving on that day will be included. The figures will only be official on Wednesday afternoon after the election commission has decided on the result.