Bleak prospects

Thomas Fussenegger enters the race in Hohenems

Mayoral candidate Thomas Fussenegger and city councillor Angelika Benzer form the dual leadership of VP Hohenems.

(Bild: ÖVP Hohenems)

Together with city councillor Angelika Benzer, Thomas Fussenegger has been elected leader of the ÖVP Hohenems. In blue-dominated Hohenems, however, FPÖ mayor Dieter Egger is so firmly in the saddle that the black duo is unlikely to have much chance of success.

Thomas Fussenegger and Angelika Benzer want to lead the party into the future together as a dual leadership. Mayor candidate Thomas Fussenegger brings a breath of fresh air and motivation, while Angelika Benzer is an important pillar thanks to her many years of experience, according to an ÖVP press release. Together, the duo stands for balanced and future-oriented leadership. 

Despite the new faces on the list of candidates, the People's Party is unlikely to have much to gain in Hohenems. Since Dieter Egger (FPÖ) ousted the then incumbent Richard Amann (ÖVP) from the mayor's seat in the run-off election in 2015, the Nibelungen town has been firmly in blue hands.

Bankruptcy five years ago
In the 2020 municipal elections, ÖVP lead candidate Gerhard Stoppel lost a whopping 11 percent - in the city council, the parliamentary group shrank from twelve to seven members. The Freedom Party even made slight gains. They improved their result from 42.31% to 44.18% and won an additional city council seat, meaning that they are currently represented by 17 men and women in this body.

The direct mayoral election was a disaster for the ÖVP's leading candidate. Gerhard Stoppl only achieved 16.03% and was even overtaken by Bernhard Amann ("Ems isch üsr"), who achieved a respectable 20.52%. Dieter Egger clearly dominated with 63.45 percent.