On September 29, Austrian voters will elect 183 members of the Austrian National Council in snap elections called for by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Why a Snap Election was Called
In May, a video of Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and Vice-Mayor of Vienna and FPÖ party whip Johann Gudenus alongside a woman posing as a Russian oligarch’s niece in Ibiza surfaced. The video contained disturbing information of Strache and Gudenus trying to sell off Austria’s largest daily-the Kronen-Zeitung to the Russian ally who will, in turn, help FPO enter government and fix state contracts and also dodge party financing laws. There was also a plan to demote “undesirable” journalists. The coalition government led by Kurz and Strache collapsed in the wake of this and a general election was called for 29 September.
What the Polls are Showing
According to Politico, the Austrian People’s Party OVP is currently leading the polls by 34%.
Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) follow the OVP with 22%, while Freedom Party of Austria FPO trails behind them with 20% making them the top three contenders. The New Austria party (NEOS) is currently polling at 8%.
How Austrian Parliamentary Elections Work
The National Council (the lower house of the Austrian Parliament) is where Austria’s federal legislative authority rests.
The 183 members of the National Council are elected by proportional representation where the number of electorate votes determines the number of seats a party wins.
Austrian citizens who are sixteen years or older on the day of the election are eligible to vote. The number of seats elected by each constituency is determined by the results of the most recent census.
For parties to receive seats in the National Council, they must either win a seat in at least one constituency or clear a 4 per cent national electoral threshold. The National Council is then convened by the President no later than 30 days after the election while the standard duration of the legislative period of the National Council is five years, by the end of which it must be renewed through an election on a Sunday or a public holiday.
While Kurz remains chancellor and the favourite choice of Austrians as FPO voters sway towards him, it is not clear who he will partner with to form a coalition government. However, NEOS may have a shoo-in as they share similar policies, unlike the SPO.
