Carinthian candidates

These Freedom Party candidates want to join the National Council

Erwin Angerer (left) and Gernot Darmann introduced the Carinthian candidates.

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

The FPÖ was the first party in Carinthia to present the candidates it is sending into the race for a seat in the National Council. "We want to paint the whole of Carinthia blue", FP leader Erwin Angerer formulates his election goal.

Strengthened by the EU election result, FP leader Erwin Angerer and his deputy Gernot Darmann appeared before media representatives on Tuesday to present the Carinthia team for the upcoming National Council elections at the end of September. It has been clear since the beginning of the year that Darmann would be the top candidate - but there were still a few surprises on the constituency lists.

However, before any specific names were announced, the Blue Party used its stage in its usual manner to express fierce criticism of the ÖVP and the Greens. The focus was on the EU renaturation law, which has now been passed by Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler, as well as the energy transition law presented by the state government: "This is a contradiction: on the one hand restoring nature and on the other hand opening the door to wind turbines on our mountains that destroy nature," and underlined this with photos of construction sites in the countryside. "Apparently the motto here is: destroy, destroy, sell!" said Angerer, who spoke of a "campaign of destruction against farmers".

In the EU elections, the FPÖ also emerged as the strongest party in Carinthia - only the districts of Völkermarkt (SPÖ) and Hermagor (ÖVP) were not colored blue on the political map. To change this, an appropriate team has been put together: "This strong team is working with common sense on the side of the population to make our homeland a better place to live - with credible policies and handshake quality," says lead candidate Gernot Darmann, who is already in an election campaign mood. Of course, criticism of Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, whom Darmann referred to as "Rumpelstiltskin", was not to be missed. 

These are the candidates
Due to its population size, Carinthia can hold a total of twelve seats in the National Council - the Freedom Party currently holds two of them after its fall in the 2019 election: Christian Ragger and Maximilian Linder (who replaced Erwin Angerer). According to the FPÖ, however, this is set to change: "We are convinced that our team will succeed!"

• Constituency 1 (Klagenfurt and Klagenfurt-Land): Gernot Darmann, Ferlach municipal councillor Dominik Keuschnig and Klagenfurt city councillor Sandra Wassermann
• Constituency 2 (Villach and Villach-Land): Afritz's mayor and National Councillor Maximilian Linder, Villach's FP party leader Katrin Nießner and Kurt Petritsch, also from Villach
• Constituency 3 (West: Feldkirchen, Hermagor and Spittal an der Drau): Tina Berger, local councillor in Lendorf, Barbara Plunger from Hermagor, Ossiach's mayor Gernot Prinz.
• Constituency 4 (East: St. Veit, Völkermarkt and Wolfsberg): National Councillor Christian Ragger, FP District Chairman in Völkermarkt Kajetan Glantschnig, Mayor of Hüttenberg Josef Ofner

The top ten on the national list have also been determined and - like the constituency lists - were decided unanimously:

Gernot Darmann leads the state list, followed by Kajetan Glantschnig, with the first woman in third place: Barbara Plunger! They are followed by Maximilian Linder, regional chairman Erwin Angerer himself, Christian Ragger and Sandra Wassermann. Katrin Nießner, Gernot Prinz and Josef Ofner take seventh to tenth place!

So who has a chance of entering parliament? Based on the Freedom Party's election target, they could be entitled to four seats. How the basic mandates are distributed depends on the result: "But our candidates have a good chance!" Angerer is certain.

(Bild: FPÖ Kärnten)

(Bild: FPÖ Kärnten)

(Bild: FPÖ Kärnten)

(Bild: FPÖ Kärnten)

"Accept Kickl as the people's chancellor"
In addition to the usual topics such as inflation and security policy, the Freedom Party wants to develop additional priorities in a candidate conference. "We are getting ready for a dirty election campaign!" says Darmann, who clearly emphasizes that true democrats will also accept a People's Chancellor Herbert Kickl if the FPÖ becomes the strongest force in terms of votes, because "the people are always right!"

Whether Kickl, as a native Carinthian, will also be Carinthia's unofficial top candidate in the coming months - similar to the state election campaign - and spend a lot of time in his home state, remains unanswered. However, Darmann makes it clear: "Kickl will be represented by us! But it won't work without Herbert Kickl anyway!" 

There is no date yet for the official start of the election campaign, but for Angerer the starting signal was given with yesterday's coalition dispute between the ÖVP and the Greens.