Kickl, Babler, Chancellor

Why beer tent appearances are a must for politicians

FPÖ Chairman Herbert Kickl in the beer tent and with Deputy Governor Manfred Haimbuchner.

(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) and Andreas Babler (SPÖ) have already been there, now ÖVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer is coming too: we're talking about their appearances in beer tents in Upper Austria. Political scientist Peter Filzmaier explains why these top politicians can't help but play close to the people.

Whether in the city or in the countryside, whether in Salzburg or Upper Austria: during an election campaign, it's part of the job to be present in beer tents - complete with followers, free beer and chicken. As reported, the FPÖ invited guests to the marquee in Wels on Saturday, where Herbert Kickl entered waving his flag - the people's chancellor at a folk festival, so to speak.

Sharing people's everyday pleasures
Why do politicians who otherwise rarely leave Vienna do this? Politics professor Peter Filzmaier explains: "The politicians' message is always the same: 'I am one of you!' They want to give themselves the image of being down-to-earth, showing closeness to the people and sharing their everyday pleasures." SPÖ top candidate Andreas Babler did the same a few days earlier, although the tent was almost empty when he visited.

Federal Chancellor and campaigner Karl Nehammer (ÖVP)

(Bild: Paul Gruber)

Will that win votes for the candidates? Filzmaier in his analysis: "You only win a few votes directly because the visitors are already convinced by one party. Then no politician from another party will manage to persuade them just because he is appearing in a beer tent." But you also have to look at it the other way round, says the political expert: "If politicians were to stay away from such events, people would immediately say that they are aloof. Nobody can afford that, especially during an election campaign."

ÖVP on the hunt for votes in the bastion of the Freedom Party
Incidentally, ÖVP chairman Karl Nehammer will be appearing in the beer tent in the FPÖ bastion of Ried next Saturday - which is easy for Filzmaier to explain: "The biggest migration of voters in the last 20 years has been between the ÖVP and FPÖ and vice versa. So Karl Nehammer logically wants to appear where many liberal voters can be found.