Reactions to the election

First place, but “no hill record” for ÖVP

Matthias Zauner, the ÖVP's regional managing director, used sporting metaphors when analyzing the election result.

(Bild: AP)

Statistically speaking, the ÖVP lost one mandate per municipality in Lower Austria on Sunday, while the FPÖ gained two on average. Both parties now see themselves as winners - and are somehow right.

A solid result. A sentence that could somehow come from any party. It was said by Hikmet Aslan, regional managing director of the Greens. The Green Party had contested 116 municipalities and won 307 seats. His red counterpart Wolfgang Zwander congratulates SPÖ mayors and "successful local parties" - but prefers to comment on the ÖVP's result. He is now trying to drive a wedge between the coalition parties, saying that the ÖVP suffered from the FPÖ's almost nationwide candidacy.

Mayoral elections to come
And black-blue? FPÖ leader Udo Landbauer is pleased about three blue municipalities and "a strong liberal foundation" with 1316 mandates. The almost tripling of the 2020 result even prompted party manager Alexander Murlasits to celebrate the Freedom Party as the "only election winner" in Lower Austria. However, it remains to be seen how many first (and second) places can be turned into mayorships.

The ÖVP has almost five times as many seats as the Freedom Party, which makes regional managing director Matthias Zauner happy. He never tires of emphasizing that the "predicted catastrophic result" has failed to materialize. 568 municipalities voted on Sunday, the People's Party lost 568 seats. "That's nothing," says Zauner: "It's like ski jumping: It's not about setting the hill record, it's about coming first. No red or blue wave has overtaken us!"

Internal revolt was called off
The palace revolt within the party is also off the table - the result for the ÖVP was "too good" for consequences, according to reports. Stephan Pernkopf, deputy leader of the ÖVP, on the farmers' association's sabre-rattling: "I know the rumors, that's nonsense."