State election in Lower Austria in 2008

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(in %)
 %
60
50
40
30th
20th
10
0
54.39%
(+1.10  % p )
25.51%
(-8.04  % p )
6.91%
(-0.31  % p )
10.47%
(+ 5.98  % p )
2.73%
(+1.29  % p )
Otherwise.
2003

2008

Parliament
    
A total of 56 seats
State government
   
A total of 9 seats

The state elections in Lower Austria in 2008 took place on March 9, 2008. In addition to the parties ÖVP , SPÖ , Greens and FPÖ , which had already been represented in the Lower Austrian Landtag , the KPÖ , BZÖ , the list for our Lower Austria , Die Christians and the animal rights party Earth-Human-Animals-Nature also competed in the elections . The ÖVP was able to defend its absolute majority in the elections and recorded a slight increase in votes. The SPÖ suffered a bitter defeat, top candidate Heidemaria Onodi resigned from her position as deputy governor and SPÖ chairman after losing 8 percent. The FPÖ in particular benefited from the losses of the SPÖ, which more than doubled its share of the vote and moved into the Lower Austrian provincial government . The Greens suffered slight losses, but were able to maintain the number of seats and thus their club status . All other parties stayed below the one percent mark. The government was formed according to the proportional representation system , the ÖVP was able to hold its six government seats, the SPÖ had to hand over one of its originally three state councils to the FPÖ.

requirements

Starting position

Distribution of mandates after the 2003 state elections

The ÖVP emerged as the big winner in the 2003 state elections . It had gained more than eight percentage points and achieved an absolute majority of votes and mandates with around 53 percent of the vote. In second place behind the ÖVP, as in 1998, was the SPÖ, which gained around 34 percent of the vote with a gain of around three percentage points and was able to benefit significantly less from the heavy losses of the FPÖ. After a financial scandal in 1998 ( Rosenstingl affair ) as well as internal differences within the Federal FPÖ in 2002 ( Knittelfeld ), the FPÖ lost around twelve percentage points of the vote and barely made it into the state parliament with 4.5 percent. The FPÖ, which had fallen back to fourth place as a result, was overtaken by the Greens in 2003, who won around 7 percent of the vote and won slight gains. All other parties were each below one percent of the vote. After the state elections in 2003, Lower Austria was ruled by a proportional government made up of the ÖVP and the SPÖ, in which the ÖVP had six out of nine members and thus an absolute majority.

Suffrage

After the state elections in 2003, the state parliament lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 years. As a result, all Austrian citizens who had reached the age of 16 by March 9, 2008 and had a place of residence in a Lower Austrian municipality were eligible to vote in the 2008 state elections. However, people who only had a second residence in Lower Austria were also given the right to vote in the state elections. In addition, those entitled to vote could not be excluded from the right to vote. An exclusion from the right to vote occurred, for example, by serving more than a year in prison. The electoral roll with the citizens entitled to vote was available in the municipalities between February 1st and 7th and could be appealed until February 10th.

According to the state parliament resolution of August 30, 2007, Lower Austrians abroad were also able to take part in the 2008 state elections for the first time. Admission to the state electoral register is a prerequisite for voting rights . Anyone who had a place of residence in a Lower Austrian municipality before January 1, 1998 and had relocated it abroad, did not have a main residence in Austria or a regular residence in Lower Austria and were Austrian citizens could apply for this admission. In addition, an applicant had to be at least 15 years old and could not be subject to any grounds for exclusion.

In Lower Austria, the right to stand for election was available to all those who had reached the age of 18 on the day of the election at the latest. The candidates had to be nominated by parties that required at least 50 declarations of consent to stand for candidacy in a constituency.

Furthermore, a special feature of the Lower Austrian electoral law at the provincial and municipal level is that - in contrast to elections at the federal level - a preferred vote outweighs a party vote and counts as a party vote for the party of the preferred candidate. The other parties criticized this regulation, especially in view of the massive preferential vote campaign of the ÖVP, which spoke of being able to elect the governor directly.

Ballot

On January 8, 2008, the Lower Austrian provincial government set March 9, 2008 as the election day for the state elections. In addition to the direct possibility of casting a vote in their home parish, those entitled to vote also had the opportunity to cast their vote using a voting card . Voting cards could be requested in writing by March 5th or picked up in person in the home parish by March 7th. Second residents in Vienna also had the option of applying for a voting card in the Palais Niederösterreich . With the voting card, eligible voters could cast their votes on March 1st or 6th in the polling stations of every municipality in Lower Austria. On election day, all voting card offices were available for voting. Postal voting was also possible for the first time in 2008, whereby the voting card had to be sent to the home community in an enclosed envelope and was allowed to arrive there no later than March 17, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.

Campaigning parties

People's Party of Lower Austria (ÖVP)

Erwin Pröll

The Lower Austrian People's Party stood as the top candidate with Governor Erwin Pröll, who has been in office since 1992 . The party favored a short election campaign in advance and set the election date in the state government at March 9th at the beginning of January. However, the ÖVP did not start the intensive election campaign until February 18. In its election campaign, the party relied primarily on the governor's bonus. For the political scientist Thomas Hofer , the ÖVP avoided a topic- or party-centered election campaign and relied entirely on a personality campaign. The ÖVP party logo was often missing on the ÖVP's posters or was only depicted in a very small way. In terms of content, the topics of work and care played a stronger role. In 2007, Pröll had already implemented its own care model in Lower Austria. The election manifesto of the ÖVP was entitled "Work for the country. Work for the people". In the run-up to the election campaign, Pröll had sent strong signals to liberal voters by describing minarets in Austria as "alien". In 2003 the ÖVP profited massively from the loss of freedom. The declared aim of the ÖVP was to keep the absolute majority in the state parliament and thereby to ensure “clear conditions”. At the same time, Pröll distinguished himself strongly from the SPÖ-ÖVP federal government, which was in crisis.

Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)

The SPÖ Lower Austria competed in the state elections with top candidate and deputy governor Heidemaria Onodi . Onodi set the goal of gaining votes as an election campaign goal. In its election campaign, the SPÖ is primarily focusing on social issues and, in its election program "Agenda for a social Lower Austria", calls for "social balance with a sense of proportion", whereby apprentices, families with childcare needs and those in need of care should be supported. The SPÖ also advocated improved conditions for young people and women at work, the promotion of high technology and business settlements, the promotion of commuters, the improvement of the transport infrastructure and reforms in the health and care sector.

The Greens (Greens)

The Greens nominated Madeleine Petrovic as the top candidate for the state election in Lower Austria . Petrovic postulated entry into the state government as the election campaign goal. In their election campaign, the Greens focused in particular on the issues of environmental protection, climate protection and control. So they came out for an expansion of the railways and against the construction of the north motorway . Furthermore, the Greens called for more transparency in the state parliament and state government as well as improved opposition rights for the state parliament parties.

Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)

The Freedom Party sat in the election campaign under top candidate Barbara Rosenkranz heavily on the issues of security and home. Under the slogan "Courage to go home", the FPÖ called for a stronger fight against crime after the opening of the border and the stop of "asylum abuse". The FPÖ also advocated an increase in social benefits to compensate for rising inflation and a reduction in taxes and fees. The FPÖ also called for funding for the action artist Hermann Nitsch to be discontinued and for an end to the “EU dictate”.

Alliance Future Austria (BZÖ)

The BZÖ competed in Lower Austria with the top candidate Hans Jörg Schimanek . The declared aim of the party running for the first time was to enter the state parliament. In the election campaign, the BZÖ relied on a reduction in state and municipal fees and demanded an extensive support package for families. Furthermore, the BZÖ advocated a downsizing of the state parliament, the suspension of funding for the artist Hermann Nitsch and an end to the “ debt policy ”. As in the Graz municipal council election campaign, other important campaign topics were security and homeland. Among other things, the BZÖ spoke out in its election campaign against the admission of asylum seekers and the building of mosques and advocated a fight against drug dealers, criminal foreigners, sex offenders who assault children , and beggars. The BZÖ competed in 17 of the 21 districts in Lower Austria. A nationwide candidacy failed because in Lilienfeld, Neunkirchen, Waidhofen an der Thaya and Wiener Neustadt the required number of declarations of support could not be obtained.

Other parties

In addition to the parliamentary parties, four other parties were running for the Lower Austrian state elections. According to its own statements, the KPÖ appeared as the “only left, social alternative” against the absolute majority of the ÖVP and put the subjects of work, housing, health and more citizens' participation at the center of its election campaign. Die Christen (DCP) ran under regional chairman Rudolf Gehring with the slogan "Leben.Werte.Zukunft" and focused on the topics of marriage and family, upbringing and education, protection of life and culture. Among other things, she advocated a maternal salary and clearly against abortions . The proponents of the “List for our Lower Austria” (LNÖ) were Austrians with a migration background. The Animal Rights Party Earth-human Animals Nature (TRP) fought in the campaign against factory farming , and cages , as well as import bans on fur and animal spoiled products ( foie gras ).

While the KPÖ managed to run nationwide, "The Christian Party" ran in 20 of the 21 districts (exception: Bruck an der Leitha ). The "List for our Lower Austria" managed to obtain the required number of declarations of support in six districts ( Baden , Gänserndorf , Lilienfeld , Neunkirchen , St. Pölten and Wiener Neustadt ), the animal rights party only in the Mödling district .

Campaign spending

In the Lower Austrian state elections, the ÖVP had the highest campaign budget. Your expenses are estimated at 20 million euros. Only the SPÖ, whose election campaign costs amounted to an estimated 12 to 15 million euros, had similarly high expenditures. The top candidate of the Greens, Madeleine Petrovic, put the campaign budget of her party at one million euros.

Survey

A Gallup poll presented on February 18 predicted the ÖVP that it would hold its previous share of the vote (53 percent) and an absolute majority. The SPÖ, on the other hand, were prophesied of heavy losses of up to 6 percent. According to the survey, it would only have reached 28 percent. The survey predicted slight gains for the Greens and the FPÖ, with the Greens with 9 percent ahead of the FPÖ with 7 percent. According to a survey, the BZÖ would have failed to move into the state parliament with 2 percent.

Election result

Majorities in the communities

State election

The ÖVP was able to defend its absolute majority in the state elections in 2008 and, according to the official final result, achieved 54.4% of the votes with a plus of one percent. The SPÖ suffered heavy losses and after a minus of 8% only achieved 25.5%. This was the SPÖ's worst result since 1945 and led to the loss of four seats and one seat in the state government. The Greens lost 0.3% of the vote, but were able to maintain their mandate with 6.9%. Nevertheless, the Greens missed both election goals. They failed to get into the state government and could not defend 3rd place. This went to the FPÖ, which was able to triple its mandate with a plus of 6% and 10.5% of the votes and took a seat in the state government from the SPÖ. All other parties failed to enter the state parliament. The parliamentary party BZÖ lagged behind KPÖ and the Christian party with 0.7%.

Official final result of the 2008 state elections
Political party Results 2008 Results 2003 Differences
be right % Mand. be right % Mand. be right % Mand.
total 1,033,695 74.51%   937.487 71.79%   + 96.208 + 2.72%
Invalid 23,339     16,015     + 7,324  
Valid 1,010,356 97.74% 921,472 98.29%   +88,884 - 0.55%
ÖVP 549.510 54.39% 31 491.065 53.29% 31 + 58,445 + 1.10% ± 0
SPÖ 257.770 25.51% 15th 309.199 33.55% 19th - 51,429 - 8.04% - 4th
GREEN 69,852 6.91% 4th 66,543 7.22% 4th + 3,309 - 0.31% ± 0
FPÖ 105,748 10.47% 6th 41,391 4.49% 2 + 64,357 + 5.98% + 4
LNÖ 2.174 0.22% 0 nk + 2,174 + 0.22%
DCP 8,537 0.84% 0 nk + 8,537 + 0.84%
KPÖ 8,661 0.86% 0 7,074 0.77% 0 + 1,589 + 0.09%
BZÖ 7,250 0.72% 0 nk + 7,250 + 0.72%
TRP 854 0.09% 0 nk + 854 + 0.09%

Preferential votes

Erwin Pröll's personal election campaign was reflected in the numerous preferential votes cast for him . The governor received 303,022 preferential votes. Around 55% of the votes for the ÖVP were cast with a preferential vote for Pröll. Deputy Governor Heidemaria Onodi received 45,445 votes in second place. In contrast to Pröll, this was only around 18% of the votes cast for the SPÖ. Barbara Rosenkranz achieved 45,371 votes in third place, with around 43% of the FPÖ votes also being preferred votes for Rosenkranz. Madeleine Petrovic reached fourth place with 18,973 votes or 27% of the votes for her party.

space Political party Surname be right
1. ÖVP Erwin Pröll 303.022
2. SPÖ Heidemaria Onodi 045,445
3. FPÖ Barbara Rosary 045,371
4th GREEN Madeleine Petrovic 018,973
5. SPÖ Emil Schabl 004.131
6th ÖVP Wolfgang Sobotka 003,961
7th ÖVP Josef Plank 003,748
8th. ÖVP Ernest Gabmann 002,695
9. ÖVP Bettina Rausch 002,441
10. SPÖ Karin Kadenbach 002,189

Elected MPs

(Name, party, constituency)

  1. Erika Adensamer ÖVP Baden
  2. Konrad Antoni SPÖ Gmünd
  3. Karl Bader ÖVP Lilienfeld
  4. Josef Balber ÖVP Baden
  5. Rupert Dworak SPÖ Neunkirchen
  6. Josef Edlinger ÖVP Krems
  7. Willibald Eigner ÖVP Vienna area
  8. Amrita Enzinger GREEN Gänserndorf
  9. Anton Erber ÖVP Scheibbs
  10. Hermann Findeis SPÖ Mistelbach
  11. Franz Gartner SPÖ Baden
  12. Franz Grandl ÖVP St. Pölten
  13. Franz Gratzer SPÖ Amstetten
  14. Kurt Hackl ÖVP Mistelbach
  15. Christian Hafenecker FPÖ Lilienfeld
  16. Hermann Haller ÖVP Korneuburg
  17. Hermann Hauer ÖVP Neunkirchen
  18. Johann Heuras ÖVP Amstetten
  19. Michaela Hinterholzer ÖVP Amstetten
  20. Hans Stefan Hintner ÖVP Mödling
  21. Johann Hofbauer ÖVP Gmünd
  22. Martin Huber FPÖ Melk
  23. Josef Jahrmann SPÖ Melk
  24. Gerhard Karner ÖVP Melk
  25. Anton Kasser ÖVP Amstetten
  26. Otto Kernstock SPÖ St. Pölten
  27. Erich Königsberger FPÖ St. Pölten
  28. Günter Kraft SPÖ Tulln
  29. Helga Krismer-Huber GREEN Baden
  30. Günther Leichtfried SPÖ Scheibbs
  31. Marianne Lembacher ÖVP Hollabrunn
  32. René Lobner ÖVP Gänserndorf
  33. Jürgen Maier ÖVP Horn
  34. Lukas Mandl ÖVP Vienna Area
  35. Martin Michalitsch ÖVP St. Pölten
  36. Franz Mold ÖVP Zwettl
  37. Karl Moser ÖVP Melk
  38. Heidemaria Onodi SPÖ St. Pölten
  39. Hans Penz ÖVP Krems
  40. Madeleine Petrovic GREEN Neunkirchen
  41. Andreas Pum ÖVP Amstetten
  42. Gerhard Razborcan SPÖ Vienna area
  43. Karin Renner SPÖ Gänserndorf
  44. Franz Rennhofer ÖVP Wiener Neustadt
  45. Alfred Riedl ÖVP Tulln
  46. Ingeborg Rinke ÖVP Krems
  47. Alfredo Rosenmaier SPÖ Wiener Neustadt
  48. Klaus Schneeberger ÖVP Wiener Neustadt
  49. Manfred Schulz ÖVP Mistelbach
  50. Martin Schuster ÖVP Mödling
  51. Benno Sulzberger FPÖ Zwettl
  52. Edmund Tauchner FPÖ Neunkirchen
  53. Herbert Thumpser SPÖ Lilienfeld
  54. Christa Vladyka SPÖ Bruck ad Leitha
  55. Gottfried Waldhäusl FPÖ Waidhofen ad Thaya
  56. Emmerich Weiderbauer GREEN Melk

Voter analysis and motivation research

For the state elections in Lower Austria, the social research institute SORA published a voter flow analysis after the election . According to the analysis, the ÖVP mainly won votes from the SPÖ (32,000 votes), non-voters (7,000) and the Greens (6,000), while it lost 22,000 votes to the FPÖ. The SPÖ gave votes to almost all parties, losing 32,000 votes to the ÖVP, 29,000 to the FPÖ and 9,000 to the group of non-voters. Only against the Greens was the SPÖ able to win a little more votes than it lost to the Greens. The FPÖ won massively from the SPÖ (29,000) and ÖVP (22,000) and was able to unite around 10,000 votes from non-voters. Only to the BZÖ did the FPÖ slightly lose votes. The Greens lost 6,000 votes to the ÖVP and 2,000 votes to the small parties and 1,000 votes to the SPÖ. The Greens were only able to win 4,000 votes from non-voters.

The market research institute GfK again analyzed the motives of the voters after the election. The main motive for their election was given by the ÖVP voters to Governor Pröll and the work they had done for Lower Austria. The SPÖ, on the other hand, was chosen out of tradition. Other motives were social concerns and the desire to counterbalance the ÖVP. Top candidate Onodi played a minor role in the election decision for the SPÖ. The FPÖ voters justified their choice most strongly with the hard line of the party FPÖ in the politics of foreigners. Other reasons for choosing the FPÖ were traditional voting behavior and the FPÖ as a counterweight to the ÖVP. Top candidate Rosenkranz was a reason for voting for around half of the voters. For Green voters, representation of interests and tradition were the most important motives for voting. For voters, the top candidate Petrovic was only to a very limited extent a reason for choosing the party. It also achieved the worst values ​​of all the top candidates.

Effects

The ÖVP was able to defend its six seats in the state government by holding its absolute mandate majority. Erwin Pröll was re-elected governor by the state parliament on April 10, 2008. The election of the other members of the Pröll V state government took place on the same day. The ÖVP members of the state government remained unchanged. The day after the election, Heidemaria Onodi took responsibility for the severe defeat of the SPÖ and resigned on March 10, 2008 from her functions as state chairwoman of the SPÖ and as deputy governor. Onodi's previous SPÖ regional manager Josef Leitner was designated as his successor on the same day . He then took over the role of regional chairman and was elected by the state parliament as deputy governor. Leitner then brought the deputy SPÖ club chairman Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek from parliament into the state government. Due to the change of Heinisch-Hosek and Leitner and the loss of a seat of government, no old SPÖ government member belonged to the new state government. The lost seat of government of the SPÖ was given to the FPÖ top candidate Barbara Rosenkranz , who moved from the National Council to the state government. With the Greens, the slight loss of votes and the clear failure to meet the election targets led to internal discussions, as a result of which press spokesman Rudi Leo was dismissed. Madleine Petrovic was confirmed as state spokeswoman on April 6, 2008, but resigned from her position as deputy to party leader Alexander Van der Bellen in May .

The defeat of the SPÖ in the state elections put SPÖ Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer under even more pressure within the party after the losses in the Graz municipal council election . In addition, the result intensified the discussion about a break in the coalition at the federal level and early National Council elections. In Tyrol, the outcome of the elections also intensified the idea of bringing forward the state elections there in order to prevent the Tyrolean state elections planned for autumn from being held at the same time as a possible early National Council election . Just two weeks after the state elections in Lower Austria, the Tyrolean state government decided to bring the election forward. The coalition at federal level finally collapsed one month after the state elections in Tyrol in July 2008.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ State of Lower Austria Lower Austria state election on March 9, 2008 - General information
  2. ^ Province of Lower Austria Lower Austrians abroad - entry in the state electoral register
  3. ^ Lower Austrian Landtag
  4. ^ Wiener Zeitung ( Memento of the original dated December 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wienerzeitung.at
  5. ↑ State of Lower Austria  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Information for voting card voters@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.noe.gv.at  
  6. ↑ a b Wiener Zeitung A feel-good country. Lower Austria election campaign marked by a cuddle course, February 15, 2008 (accessed November 14, 2013)
  7. ↑ a b oe24.at This is how Pröll fights for the absolute
  8. ↑ Der Standard Online "I have to see first whether I will choose Onodi", February 28, 2008
  9. ^ SPÖ Lower Austria Agenda for a social Lower Austria
  10. ↑ Der Standard Online "Living on compromises is not mine", February 26, 2008
  11. ↑ Wiener Zeitung  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. "Environmental policy is a shame", February 1, 2008@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.wienerzeitung.at  
  12. ↑ FPÖ Lower Austria  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.1 MB) Election campaign brochure@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.fpoe.at  
  13. ↑ BZÖ Lower Austria  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Campaign folder@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bzoe-noe.at  
  14. ↑ a b Der Standard Online Nine parties will compete on March 9th, February 8th, 2008
  15. ↑ KPÖ Lower Austria (PDF; 2.0 MB) election campaign brochure
  16. ^ Die Presse Small parties: KPÖ is aiming for more than one percent, March 3, 2008
  17. ↑ The Standard Online Christian Party Trusts “In God's Help”, February 11, 2008
  18. ↑ The Standard Online "Don't want to put up with the 'migrants-out' policy", February 14, 2008
  19. ↑ Oe-journal.at
  20. ↑ Wiener Zeitung  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. "Environmental policy is a shame", February 1, 2008@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.wienerzeitung.at  
  21. ^ Oe24.at Pröll holds absolute, crash for SPÖ, February 18, 2008
  22. ^ Province of Lower Austria - Official final result LTW 2008
  23. ↑ Lower Austria State Parliament: Current Members, Committees & Politicians
  24. ↑ SORA  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Voter analysis of the state election of Lower Austria in 2008@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.sora.at  
  25. ↑ GfK Austria Political Research Peter A. Ulram: Analysis of the Lower Austrian state election on March 9, 2008
  26. ↑ ORF Lower Austria Heidemaria Onodi resigned, March 10, 2008
  27. ^ ORF Lower Austria Petrovic confirmed as state spokeswoman, April 6, 2008
  28. ^ ORF Lower Austria Greens: Petrovic resigns as Van der Bellen Vice, May 9, 2008
  29. ^ The Presse Online Pröll-Sieg brings a new election closer, March 9, 2008
  30. ↑ Wiener Zeitung Online Tirol thinks about earlier election, March 10, 2008 (accessed on November 14, 2013)

Web links

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on September 27, 2008 .