Provincial Governor Peter Kaiser has taken personal responsibility for the election results in Carinthia and does not want to be misled by the performance of the federal party. The Social Democratic head of state said on Sunday evening that he had hoped to “contribute with a more respectable result to calming down the SPÖ as a whole”. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. “I’m sorry,” Kaiser said.
He had previously stated on election night that he had other concerns – namely a result that “hurts a lot”. After all, given the 15 percent lead over the FPÖ, he saw a clear mandate for the SPÖ. Kaiser announced talks with all parties “at eye level”. He wouldn’t anticipate anything, he left the outcome open.
Kaiser also repeatedly claimed in “Zeit im Bild 2” that as party leader he took responsibility for the defeat. He is not thinking about resigning. “You can count on it with great probability”, was his answer to the question whether he will still be chairman of the state party in six months.
ÖVP signals preference for red and black
The People’s Party held back for the time being, but saw the previous government work confirmed as a junior partner. Lead candidate Martin Gruber wants to “continue to take responsibility” in the state government. He does not exclude anyone from talks, even if the past five years have not been the worst for Carinthia, Gruber indicated a preference for red and black.
At the federal level – where new elections are due to be held in autumn 2024 – things looked very good for a while, with the SPÖ leading the polls for a while. Meanwhile, the FPÖ is fighting for this place. In any case, the discussion whether Rendi-Wagner is the right top candidate to win the elections for the National Council will not end after these Carinthian elections.
SPÖ loses almost ten percentage points
The state elections in Carinthia on Sunday yielded a surprising result. The SPÖ lost almost ten percentage points, but clearly managed to hold on to its position as number one. All other parties increased, which was especially unexpected for the ÖVP. She was able to leave the Carinthia team well behind, although they almost doubled. The Greens and NEOS have clearly failed to enter the state parliament.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
