A look back

That was the year 2024 in Burgenland

What has moved Burgenland this year? The "Krone" looks back.

(Bild: Esterhazy Betriebe GmbH)

An exciting, eventful year is drawing to a close. Who were the main actors on the various stages? What moved the people of Burgenland the most? What will be remembered?

Come to stay - Hofer doesn't want to be the second highest man in the Republic, but the highest in Burgenland
An unwritten law states that the party with the most votes in parliament appoints the President of the National Council. This office is the second highest in the republic after the Federal President, who Norbert Hofer almost became in 2016 - he was only beaten by Alexander Van der Bellen by a whisker.

Hofer was defeated in 2016 - now he wants to win.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

"Doesn't want to come second"
 It was therefore almost logical that Norbert Hofer could have risen from third president of the National Council to number one after the FPÖ's election victory on September 29. But the 53-year-old apparently saw his future place elsewhere: he was drawn home to Burgenland, where the Pinkafelder will stand as the FPÖ's top candidate in the state elections on January 19, 2025. The man who would rather be governor than President of the National Council has clearly defined his goal: "I didn't come here to come second!"

Success in the National Council elections
In the European elections on 9 June, the FPÖ gained 7.1 percentage points to 25.1 in Burgenland and came third, within striking distance of the SPÖ (29.8%) and ÖVP (27.9%). In the National Council elections at the end of September, the FPÖ, with Hofer as its lead candidate in Burgenland, outperformed its competitors, gaining 28.8% of the vote and taking first place for the first time.

Feuerwehren im Dauereinsatz

Ausnahmezustand nach Überflutungen im Südburgenland

In one night from 8 to 9 June, it rained as much in southern Burgenland as it normally does in a month - in some areas, up to 80 liters per square meter per hour fell. The flooding was particularly devastating in the Oberwart district and triggered a state of emergency.

The firefighters were hard at work. In Purbach, a postman was lucky - he was not in the car.

(Bild: Gabriela Gruber)

77-year-old fatality
Thousands of firefighters and the army were in constant action for days, and a 77-year-old man from Mischendorf was swept away by the masses of water and died in the Pinka. The clean-up work in the communities lasted more than a month. The state promised flood aid to those affected.

Trees uprooted
The north of the country was hit in mid-September. The districts of Eisenstadt-Umgebung and Neusiedl am See were hit by severe storms. The Leitha overflowed its banks in some places, causing flooding. The storm uprooted trees and the damage to buildings was also enormous here.

Bunt gemischt

Das hat das Burgenland heuer noch bewegt

Smugglers have become more cautious - the number of illegal migrants has fallen sharply: The flow of refugees remained within limits compared to previous years. While 29,800 illegal immigrants came to Burgenland in 2023, there were only 5037 arrivals this year. Around 700 smugglers have been arrested in Burgenland since 2022 and 38 were apprehended in 2024. The gangs have become more cautious in their choice of routes - also because the cross-border "Operation Fox" of the Ministry of the Interior seems to be working well.

Two routine laryngeal operations on Governor Doskozil: In March and November, Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) had to undergo two further laryngeal operations. This means that eight operations have been necessary to date. Doskozil was able to return to work after a week in home office, before a bout of pneumonia caused him problems for a short time. Now he is fit for the election campaign!

Cultural highlights delighted hundreds of thousands of visitors: "My Fair Lady" was an absolute hit with 145,000 visitors at the Seebühne Mörbisch. Around 100,000 wanted to see Verdi's opera "Aida" in the St. Margarethen quarry. As always, the biggest party of the year took place at Nova Rock on the Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf with 200,000 guests.

Breathe a sigh of relief at Lake Neusiedl: after years in which the water level of Lake Neusiedl fell to a historic low, the situation stabilized again in 2024 due to the abundance of rain. In mid-October, the long-term average water level of 115.40 meters above the Adriatic Sea was exceeded for the first time since 2019.