Against a blue majority

Drexler fishes in the pond of tactical voters

Governor Christopher Drexler presented the core content of his speech on Friday together with ÖVP regional managing director Detlev Eisel-Eiselsberg.(Bild: Baumgartner)

Security and performance: these are the topics that ÖVP state governor Christopher Drexler focuses on in his National Day speech four weeks before the state elections. It includes demands such as a payment card for asylum seekers and a tax allowance for volunteers. 

The state elections are approaching and Governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) gives a foretaste of the Styrian People's Party's election program, which will be presented next week, in his speech on National Day tomorrow. The state leader once again emphasizes the "Styrian way of cooperation" - in comparison to the federal government, where "stalemate, standstill and also dispute prevail around the formation of government." 

More social work in schools
In terms of content, Drexler focused on safety and performance in his speech. The issue of youth violence and crime plays a central role in this. Styria is already a pioneer in this area with its suspension support model. "However, there must also be more school social work and we are calling for the federal government to assume more of the costs," said Drexler. The governor also envisaged closed residential facilities with compulsory attendance for "particularly conspicuous young people" as another measure that could be implemented in Styria. 

The second perennial issue in terms of security, with links to performance: illegal migration and a lack of integration. "Anyone who wants to live with us has to accept our rules and our values without any ifs or buts," says Drexler. Key demands in this regard: Compulsory values courses and performance of community service or a payment card for asylum seekers based on the Lower Austrian model. 

Tax concessions for volunteers
On the subject of performance, the governor repeated well-known demands: Tax incentives for full-time work, tax-free overtime and expansion of childcare to make it easier for parents to work full-time. Drexler also repeated his call for a tax allowance for volunteers in emergency organizations. Tenor: "Those who do more should also be able to afford more." 

"I invite all those who do not want a blue majority in Styria to give me their vote - or even just to lend me their vote."

LH Christopher Drexler 

Finally, Christopher Drexler appeals to those voters who would not normally vote for the ÖVP in view of the proclaimed neck-and-neck race with the Freedom Party: "I invite all those who do not want a blue majority in Styria to give me their vote - or even just to lend me their vote." In contrast to the federal government, the law in Styria stipulates that the party with the most votes must conduct the talks to form a government.