Xi, Amann and co

Small parties gear up for the state elections

In the upcoming regional elections in October, the "big players" will be challenged by a number of small parties. It is quite possible that the Vorarlberg parliament will be composed somewhat differently from the fall. 

It's getting exciting: three weeks before the submission deadline on August 23, the field of candidates for the state parliamentary elections on October 13 is taking shape. The five parliamentary parties ÖVP, Greens, FPÖ, SPÖ and Neos are already set to run, but in addition to the "WIR" platform, the electoral alliance "Xi-HaK-Gilt" and the KPÖ (for the first time since 1989) have also announced their participation. The election platform "Vorarlberg Anders" also presented itself on Thursday. This is led by political veteran Bernhard Amann, who is trying his luck for the third time with his own list or as an electoral alliance and will be vying for a place in the state parliament. Although it has not worked out so far, Amann is his usual optimistic self.

Achieving a basic mandate in one of the four districts is a prerequisite for a seat in the Vorarlberg state parliament, but this is a rather hopeless undertaking for smaller movements. The small lists and parties are aiming for a five percent share of the vote, which will also help them gain one or more seats.

Will parliament be more colorful in the fall?
"WIR" achieved 0.69 percent in 2019. For "Xi", "HaK" and "Gilt", which ran separately five years ago, the combined figure was 3.49%. Amann's best result was 2.28% (1999). The Vorarlberg state parliament consisted of the ÖVP, SPÖ and FPÖ until 1984, when the Greens were added. Finally, in 2014, the Neos also entered. Let's see if things get a bit more colorful in the Vorarlberg parliament after this year's election.