Standing together

ÖVP cries and laughs: “We’re celebrating anyway”

The VP leadership with frozen expressions during the first projection

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Despite the high losses, the mood in the ÖVP is not bad, even positive. The loss was expected. There is disappointment about second place, in the final spurt the People's Party had hopes of victory. "We are standing there with one crying and one laughing eye," said General Secretary Christian Stocker: "Now we are celebrating anyway."

 

And that's exactly what they did. A lot of beer and wine flowed and there was plenty to eat. Party leader and Chancellor Karl Nehammer was even in a joking mood during a first, brief appearance: "You have to hold the taferl differently," he corrected a supporter in the marquee who was holding the "Thank you" sign upside down.

"Nobody has to blame themselves, we fought our way back." It will have to be analysed "why more people run to the radicalized than to us, the force of the center. We have to convince people more again," says Nehammer.

ÖVP has the most options
The mood among the functionaries, MPs and members of the government, who had all turned up in large numbers at the party in front of the party headquarters in Lichtenfelsgasse, was mixed. The ÖVP may have lost first place, but it still has the most options. "I said before the election: if we come first, we are chancellor and if we come second, we are also chancellor," said one party guest.

The fact that the FPÖ did better than the last polls predicted is attributed in the ÖVP to the fact that the Freedom Party apparently mobilized non-voters. Perhaps the neck-and-neck race proclaimed by opinion polls in the last two weeks before the election also mobilized voters for the blue party, says one MP.

"For being shot up for five years, it's not bad"
In any case, the ÖVP was able to mobilize well for the Turkish party and there was a lot going on. The guests chatted animatedly and eagerly analyzed the situation. "It's going to be exciting," said one young man. "You have to look at it realistically. For being shot to pieces for five years, the result is not bad," said another functionary. There is a consensus that Federal President Alexander van der Bellen must give FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl the task of forming a government. "He will have no other choice," is the unanimous opinion.

The ÖVP was present with almost the entire government team, with many party grandees dropping by alongside MPs and officials: former governor Erwin Pröll, former vice-chancellor Josef Pröll, former justice minister Wolfgang Brandstetter.

Nehammer called on his party colleagues to recognize successes. Now it was time to convince people even more. At the election party, everyone united behind the federal party leader. There was much applause for Nehammer.