Election in Bärnbach

Nobody bets against it: The ball drops on red

Jochen Bocksruker in front of Bärnbach's landmark, the Hundertwasser Church

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Erwin Scheriau)

Bärnbach remains firmly in the hands of the SPÖ even after the election on March 23, and there are no dissenting voices to be heard. Mayor Jochen Bocksruker is flying high - and yet the other parties do not want to leave the field to him without a fight.

"Jochen is flying high," says a high-ranking politician from the Voitsberg district approvingly. He is referring to Jochen Bocksruker, Mayor of Bärnbach. In office since 2019, he was able to make significant gains in the election a year later with 67% and 19 of 25 municipal council seats.

Bocksruker has also recently become a member of parliament for the SPÖ, which gives him even more political clout. At the end of March, after 30 years, he will be giving up his job at the savings bank, which he last held part-time: "I'm taking a full risk in politics."

Military policeman Klaus Friedrich leads the FPÖ into the election.

(Bild: FPÖ Bärnbach)

Blue lone fighter wants to make gains
Bocksruker keeps his head down despite being a big favorite: "For me, every election starts from scratch." And he points out that the FPÖ was in no man's land in 2020 after the Ibiza affair and is now experiencing a strong tailwind. Blue's top candidate is military policeman Klaus Friedrich, who has now spent five years as a lone fighter on the local council and chaired the audit committee: "It was an extremely exciting time, I was thrown in at the deep end and was fully challenged."

Friedrich emphasizes the good non-partisan cooperation in Bärnbach, "that should be exemplary. People accepted me." If that hadn't been the case, he might not be running again this year. 

Bärnbach is an influx community. It needs flexible childcare for young families.

Markus Kollmann (ÖVP)

Bild: ÖVP Bärnbach

Organic farmer new to ÖVP leadership
The new ÖVP top candidate Markus Kollmann (replacing Karin Buchgraber) does not criticize the political style in Bärnbach either. However, it is difficult to shape things in the face of such a large SPÖ majority, says the full-time organic farmer. "The aim is constructive opposition work. A strong majority needs a strong opposition."

According to Bocksruker, almost 14 million euros have been invested in Bärnbach over the past five years - but deliberately not in flagship projects. In the coming years, too, there will primarily be "homework" to do, such as expanding childcare and renovating the secondary school.

What would the opposition do differently? Kollmann mentions, for example, more flexible childcare and infrastructure, especially in the rural areas of the municipality, which is quite large in terms of area. Friedrich also sees a need for action on the municipal roads away from the town center. "We need to set better priorities overall, especially in times that are financially challenging." More transparency and a greater sense of security are also important to him.

SBB no longer standing
The Greens are once again fighting for a place on the municipal council with top candidate Matthias Nußbacher. The SBB (Soziale Bewegung Bärnbach), which was kicked out of the municipal council in 2020, will not be running again this year. The KPÖ is new with mental trainer Janine Blumauer at the helm.