On Friday, the beer party announced that its founder Dominik Wlazny, aka Marco Pogo, had reached the 6,000 statements of support needed to participate in the federal presidential election. In total, more than 20 people have announced their candidacy for the position. Political advisor Thomas Hofer with an estimate of which of them also has real opportunities.
First and foremost is the incumbent Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who may already have the necessary statements of support without having made them public. The incumbent party is trying to delay the election campaign, Hofer says. Van der Bellen knows that every “daily political load” is hard on him.
According to Hofer, it is also understandable that he does not want to participate in TV duels with the other candidates. Van der Bellen often showed emotional reactions and “didn’t want to be seen on an equal footing with the others”.
Four other people have chances
In addition to Van der Bellen, Hofer gives four other candidates realistic opportunities on October 9: FPÖ candidate Walter Rosenkranz, former FPÖ and BZÖ politician and current blogger Gerald Grosz, MFG chairman Michael Brunner and the lawyer and former Krone columnist Tassilo Wallentin. By now there is already “a certain oversupply” for those who are “dissatisfied with the system” and “dissatisfied”. These candidates would be fishing in a similar pool of voters.
For the FPÖ, it is precisely a matter of “not ruining the election campaign through internal disputes”. For example, this candidate’s behavior plays a role in whether or not they reach ÖVP voters. Tassilo Walentin, meanwhile, was traded as an FPÖ candidate, but is now supported as an independent candidate by Magna founder Frank Stronach (Team Stronach).
Wlazny is fishing on the left
Dominik Wlazny, aka Marco Pogo, has the chance to “nibble a bit on the left spectrum”. Not surprisingly, Hofer was the first candidate to publicly claim to have collected 6,000 signatures. It is a signal that the musician and Viennese local politician is “not just any nice candidate”. Wlazny’s problem is that he “always oscillates between pleasure and seriousness”. According to Hofer, he certainly has a chance to collect votes from Van der Bellen, especially because there are more right-wing candidates than left-wing candidates.
Everyone has until Monday 2 September (without grace period) to submit the necessary statements of support. In addition to the already mentioned Helga Egger, Mark Hanno Fessl, Franz Gollowitsch, Konstantin Haslauer, Oliver Hoffmann, Rudolf Remigius Kleinschnitz, Gerhard Kuchta, Robert Marschall, Wolfgang Ottowitz, David Packer, Barbara Rieger, Thomas Schaurecker, Johann Peter Schutte, Hubert Thurnhofer, Anatolij Volk, Roland Ludomirska and Heini Staudinger will compete in the federal presidential elections. The date is Sunday, October 9.
Source: Krone
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