A measly 0.8 percent

Crushing defeat for the state parliament party MFG

Joachim Aigner and MFG member of parliament Dagmar Häusler suffered a defeat yesterday.

(Bild: Dostal Harald/© Harald Dostal / 2024)

The minor parties failed to score at all in the Upper Austrian parliamentary elections. The MFG, which has been represented in our state parliament for three years, went completely under. The critics of the corona measures proved to be a flash in the pan, but other small parties also failed in Upper Austria.

Three years ago, they could hardly believe their luck: The MFG's critics of the corona measures achieved 6.23% in the state elections from a standing start and have since been sitting in the Upper Austrian state parliament with three mandates - a unique case nationwide to date.

However, with the coronavirus issue no longer in the public eye, the population's interest in the small party has also waned in our state.

MFG "stronghold" is Rutzenham
In yesterday's National Council elections, MFG only received a measly 0.8% of the vote in its previous flagship province. In not a single municipality was the party able to clear the four percent hurdle (which is required nationwide to enter the National Council). It did best in Rutzenham in the district of Vöcklabruck with 3.55 percent.

MFG cannot score with other issues
The MFG in Upper Austria had recently tried to address issues other than coronavirus. However, the positions of Upper Austrian federal party leader Joachim Aigner apparently tended to deter voters in 2021. For example, he recently called for an Öxit, i.e. Austria's withdrawal from the EU, in response to the renaturation law. He described the photovoltaic boom as a "lie that is now falling on our heads" and the city of Linz's heat emergency plan was described by MFG as "climate hysteria" triggered by a "completely fact-free political agenda". This kind of thing did not fall on fertile ground among the population - also in view of the flooding events in recent weeks.

Beer Party and KPÖ also below expectations
But it was not only the MFG that failed to succeed in Upper Austria. None of the minor parties managed to outperform the national result. However, the Beer Party and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) at least managed to break the four percent barrier in one municipality each: the Beer Party in St. Thomas (4.39%) and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) in Obertraun with 4.82%. CO