Election campaign kick-off

How the FPÖ wants to convince voters in the state

Thomas Spalt from Feldkirch is the leading candidate for the Vorarlberg Freedom Party in the upcoming national elections.

(Bild: S. Schlingensiepen)

The Vorarlberg FPÖ kicked off its National Council election campaign in Dornbirn on Tuesday. Among other things, top candidate Thomas Spalt is calling for a tougher stance against political Islam.

The Freedom Party is known to be on the upswing; according to current polls, they have the best chance of coming first in the National Council elections at the end of September. However, the Blue Party finds itself in a dilemma, as no other party wants to act as Herbert Kickl's stooge for the chancellorship. Thomas Spalt has no sympathy for the refusal of his political rivals to form a coalition with the FPÖ as a junior partner: "In reality, this so-called firewall against the right is nothing more than a firewall against democracy and a firewall against the Austrian people."

The fact that Herbert Kickl could take a back seat and give preference to another candidate for the chancellorship is not an option for Spalt, as he already emphasized in the "Krone" interview two weeks ago: "Our goal is clear: we want to become the strongest force in the country and then, of course, we will also lay claim to the chancellorship with Herbert Kickl."

More police officers and a "western allowance " 
When presenting the election manifesto, Spalt emphasized the core liberal issues of security and immigration. The typical election campaign rhetoric was not neglected: "In Vienna, the daily stabber has already become standard - that must not happen in Vorarlberg under any circumstances!" Above all, a "beefed-up" police force is to ensure safe streets: as is well known, the Blue Party wants to hire additional police officers, who will then have a stronger presence in public spaces. To ensure that the necessary personnel can also be found in Vorarlberg, Spalt is holding out the prospect of a "western allowance" to cushion the extremely high cost of living in the Ländle.

In reality, this so-called firewall against the right is nothing other than a firewall against democracy and a firewall against the Austrian population.

Thomas Spalt, Spitzenkandidat FPÖ Vorarlberg

Incidentally, there are no plans for such a "wage bonus" for teachers, who are also paid according to a uniform federal scheme.

Prohibition law for political Islam
The Freedom Party also wants to declare war on political Islam - they are demanding nothing less than a prohibition law: "In our opinion, this law should be very tough," explains Vorarlberg's FPÖ state leader Christof Bitschi. The existing law banning the Nazis should serve as a model, adds Spalt. This demand is not exclusive to the FPÖ; after the recent acts of terrorism in Germany, calls for a law banning political Islam were also heard from the ranks of the SPÖ.

Great confidence for the upcoming elections 
At the press conference in Dornbirn, it was noticeable that both Spalt and Bitschi were brimming with optimism. Both firmly believe that the FPÖ will strike a chord with voters with its core issues - and that the good poll results in the federal and state elections will ultimately be reflected in the election results.

A recent survey commissioned by the "Vorarlberger Nachrichten" caused quite a stir, according to which the FPÖ has almost caught up with the ÖVP in the state.