The reactions from Lower Austria

People’s Party has “missed the mark”, “brilliant” FPÖ

All voters can agree on one good thing: From today, the forest of signs will slowly be dismantled again, as here at the traffic circle at the entrance to St. Pölten-Ratzersdorf.

(Bild: Molnar Attila/Attila Molnar)

After the election is before the election, as the saying goes. Nevertheless, voters now expect one thing from the parties: That they take up their work as quickly as possible - this is also evident from a "Krone" survey in all four provincial districts in Lower Austria. Immediately after an election and therefore before any coalition negotiations, however, is the time for reactions.

While the Federal Chancellor in his first statement now wants to question the ÖVP's result and at the same time signal his willingness to form a government, it took some time in Lower Austria for the reactions to filter through from the respective party headquarters in St. Pölten. This was mainly due to the tight race for first place in the vast state. Not even one percent was between the People's Party and the Freedom Party in the first projection shortly before 6pm. And in favor of the blue party, mind you.

"The election campaign was very demanding"
The Greens were the first to come out of the woodwork. "It was a difficult time, the election campaign was very demanding," top candidate Elisabeth Götze tells the "Krone". Did the floods once again fuel the core issue of climate change? - "The postal vote was already over by then," says Götze, who sees the disaster as more of a bonus for the ÖVP's reaction. "We have recently concentrated more on social policy, which is the issue of the future and should remain so," says the Green Party, which also suffered a seven percent drop in her home town of Eichgraben. But, according to Götze: "The important thing is that there is no majority for a People's Chancellor Kickl."

Neos see themselves as election winners
Neos spokeswoman Indra Collini also spoke in front of the ORF Lower Austria cameras: Despite better poll results, she was more pleased than anything else. "Today we are among the growth winners", Collini calculates that this year 16,000 more votes were cast for the Neos from Lower Austria than five years ago.

Kickl  gains +8.8%, home advantage for Babler
Speaking of Herbert Kickl: The FPÖ chairman lives in Purkersdorf, where he achieved significantly smaller gains (+8.8%) than in the federal government. The mayor of Traiskirchen, Andreas Babler, also made gains at home, with around 8%. The wafer-thin increase for his party was also emphasized by the SPÖ's regional managing director Wolfgang Zwander. However, when asked about his party's historically worst result in a national election, he spoke of a "resounding slap in the face" for the outgoing government. The red party manager does not want to have a debate about the chairman: "Content must be discussed, not people." For Zwander, it is clear that the SPÖ should strive for a coalition: "You should govern if you can."

Udo Landbauer answered journalists' questions with a "broad chest". "But also with gratitude and humility", as the Freedom Party leader emphasized. Lower Austria's results are in line with the national trend, which also confirms the work of his party in the state. He also feels at home here, he said, again evading questions as to whether he would be available for a ministerial office. Landbauer also did not comment on possible coalitions.

Mikl-Leitner: "No coalition with Kickl"
Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner was clearer: "No cooperation with Herbert Kickl!" She is certain that Karl Nehammer will now lead the negotiations for the ÖVP: "He is firmly in the saddle." In recent weeks, he has succeeded in mobilizing his own voters. "Months ago, nobody thought we would achieve this result," said the ÖVP leader on Sunday evening. At this point, the neck-and-neck race in Lower Austria had not yet been decided. But Mikl-Leitner nevertheless stated: "We have not achieved our goal, we have to be that clear"