No change of course

Elke Kahr: “I won at the schnapps”

Graz's KPÖ mayor Elke Kahr (right) and her Green deputy Judith Schwentner remain confident despite losing votes.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

The Graz coalition trio of KPÖ, Greens and SPÖ want to carry on as before after the Styrian state elections. Mayor Elke Kahr was at least able to enjoy a lucky streak while gambling.

The Greens suffered the biggest setback in Graz: they had to cope with a drop of 10.7 percentage points on election Sunday, slipping from second to fourth place compared to the 2019 state election. Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner, however, coped surprisingly well with the result - at least on the surface.

"With more greenery, space and safety for everyone, we have made a big impact on the cityscape. However, the election result shows us that we need to involve the people even more in the shaping of the city," was the response to an inquiry on Monday, similar to that received the day before.

The KPÖ gained votes in six districts in Graz. With a similar voter turnout, we would have had a positive result.

KPÖ-Bürgermeisterin Elke Kahr

Graz: voter turnout increased by 13 percentage points
The KPÖ, the political home base of Mayor Elke Kahr, also recorded a drop in the Styrian capital. However, at 2.6 percentage points, this was significantly lower than for the Green coalition partner. "Initial analyses have shown us that we were able to make gains in six districts in Graz. If the voter turnout had been at a similar level to the previous state election (13 percentage points fewer people from Graz voted in 2019, editor's note), we would have been able to achieve a positive overall result again," emphasized Kahr on Monday.

The head of the SPÖ in Graz, Doris Kampus, can be pleased about a solid plus.

(Bild: Land Stmk./Link)

The result of the SPÖ showed most clearly how difficult it is to grasp the voting behavior of the residents under the clock tower. While the Reds lost votes nationwide, they gained 5.2 percentage points in Graz. Nevertheless, SPÖ Graz leader Doris Kampus is keeping her feet on the ground: "The fact that we have gained 10,000 votes in the provincial capital naturally strengthens my resolve to continue on the path of the center". Kampus has no intention of breaking up the coalition: "That would be a misinterpretation of the election result."

Media hype followed a games evening
Incidentally, Mayor Elke Kahr already proved on election night that she is good at arithmetic. After the media hype had finally come to an end, she and her team retired to a back room for a game of "Kartln". Who won? "Me. I'm pretty good at playing Uno and four-in-a-row."