Chancellor delighted

Civil servant election: FCG close to ÖVP defends absolute majority

FCG Chairwoman Romana Deckenbacher saw a clear confirmation of the work done in recent years.

(Bild: ANDI BRUCKNER)

The Christian Trade Unionists (FCG) maintained their absolute majority in the federal staff representation election despite losses and gained one mandate compared to 2019. Independents (UGÖD) and the Freedom Party (AUF) also gained seats. The Social Democrats (FSG) retained their central committee seats.

According to a statement from the Public Service Union (GÖD), the FCG received 51.8 percent of the votes or 177 seats, which is two percentage points less but one seat more than five years ago.

This time, the FSG achieved 25.9 percent or 88 mandates (plus 0.3 points or plus/minus 0 mandates), while the UGÖD achieved 11.9 percent or 29 mandates (plus 0.5 points or plus 2 mandates).

Freedom Party gains three seats
The Aktionsgemeinschaft Unabhängiger und Freiheitlicher (AUF) received 8 percent of the vote this time, an increase of 0.8 percentage points, and its number of seats rose from 9 to 12. The remainder of the votes were cast for lists of names.

Around 247,000 federal civil servants and contract employees, federal apprentices and state teachers were entitled to vote in the election. Judges were excluded, as were legal and administrative trainees.

Nehammer: "Great report card"
ÖVP leader and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer saw the result as "a great testimony to the hard work of recent years".

Congratulations also came from the head of the ÖVP employee representatives. ÖAAB Chairman August Wöginger said that the FCG acted as the social conscience of the ÖGB. FCG Chairwoman Romana Deckenbacher saw a clear confirmation of the work of the past years.

Vienna's mayor also congratulated
Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) was delighted that the FSG had succeeded in regaining the presidency of the Vienna compulsory school teachers' union for the first time since 2009.

74% for Social Democrats among compulsory school teachers in Carinthia
Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser found the 74% for the Social Democrats among compulsory school teachers in his state "sensational".

Lower Austria's governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) was delighted that the Christian Trade Unionists were able to achieve more than 66% in her state. SPÖ state leader Sven Hergovich in turn emphasized that the FSG had been able to gain more than two percentage points. In Upper Austria, the FCG was pleased to be the only federal state to have even increased its absolute score to 63%.

The Freedom Party was not dissatisfied either, especially in its core areas such as police and justice. In the latter area, Member of the National Council Christian Lausch saw a "furious result", as they had only just missed out on first place with gains.