Vienna election without beer?

Wlazny does not want to rule out leaving politics

His performance in and outside Vienna has admittedly surprised Beer Party leader Dominik Wlazny.(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

The fact that he failed to make it into parliament in the national elections has beer party leader Dominik Wlazny thinking about quitting politics. He wants to think carefully about whether he wants to run in the Vienna elections in a year's time. However, Wlazny emphasizes that this has nothing to do with frustration.

Wlazny is admittedly "surprised" by the performance of his beer party in Vienna and throughout the country. In his previous appearances across Austria - in the 2019 National Council election and the 2022 presidential election - he was able to achieve significantly better results in the federal capital than in the rest of the country. Not so this time. He can't make sense of it: "It is what it is."

No desire for a "quick fix"
For the time being, Wlazny does not want to decide whether he wants to run in the Vienna elections in a year's time after this setback. However, this has nothing to do with personal disappointment: Even after his success in the federal presidential election - at the time, 10.7% of Viennese wanted to see him as president - he had been asked whether he wanted to run in the National Council election and was equally unwilling to make a "snap decision" at the time. "We will think about it."

Wlazny sees a lack of presence in the federal capital as a possible reason for the Viennese electorate's cold love for him: he "did not campaign in Vienna" and deliberately scattered his appearances in this election campaign across Austria. The fact that opinion pollsters promised him an almost certain entry into the National Council just a few weeks ago and now nothing has come of it teaches him: "You can never assume anything."

In any case, "Gaude" continues
Wlazny is convinced that in those local political bodies where the beer party is already represented - as district councillors in Vienna, for example - they will continue to have "Gaude". And one argument for staying in the political race is the encouragement he received at the election party on Sunday evening: "I see a lot of faces that give the party a lot of courage."

In any case, Wlazny is convinced that the lack of support was not due to his party's lack of focus. He considers his party program "menu" to be "still very intelligent". Particularly in the areas of health and education as well as his idea of a Ministry for the Future, he would be happy if the future government "copied it".