The fact that a Greens has the power to drive all other parties before him is the unique selling point of this presidential election. The return of Alexander Van der Bellen puts all other parties under pressure. The FPÖ in particular has a real problem.
Because the Blues are doomed to nominate a candidate for the upcoming election in the fall because of their universal “I’m against” stance. The acceptance of a Green is not only possible for ideological reasons, but also for tactical reasons. A protest party not protesting the status quo – that’s not just a contradiction in terms, but wouldn’t just go for optical reasons!
No gross blunder by Van der Bellen
The problem with this is that an opposing candidate has no real chance of a “palace overthrow”. Incumbent federal presidents are usually re-elected, provided they have not committed gross blunders during their term in office. Even if the Blues are now roaring that the country has gone to hell under Van der Bellen, the fact that he didn’t take the government away at the first cry from the right doesn’t make him a bad leader.
Wanted: someone to burn
The fact that Van der Bellen’s biggest opponent, Norbert Hofer, wants to skip this year suggests that even the FPÖ knows about its chances in the elections in the fall. Hofer must not be burned – only to return as a shining counterpart in the next election in 2028. A smart strategy, the only question is: which hapless bastard will you send forward this fall to collect an election defeat?
FPÖ would have a lot to offer before the start…
Susanne Fürst, who is already traded as the “Austrian Marine Le Pen”, is positioned for this. It would be a shame for her, after all she is a solid Member of Parliament who may even have the necessary profile for such an office. It remains to be seen if the offer Herbert Kickl makes to her is enough to actually face this zero number choice. She’s not going to win much!
Kickl against Van der Bellen – that will be the TV duel of the year!
And there’s still the theory that Kickl could set itself up. However, that would turn the tide and brighten up the presidential election. It would also be an advantage for him: Kickl could easily organize a “left versus right” duel with his fame. Does Van der Bellen dare to argue with him in a TV duel? It would be high quota!
Source: Krone
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