The parties are slowly preparing for the EU elections next year. The SPÖ was the first party to determine its list of candidates. The Greens and ÖVP have had a difficult time so far.
There are repeated complaints about the European Union’s influence on nation states, but only a few people have the European Parliament election on their radar. Turnout at elections is also correspondingly low. Next year it will be that time again: from June 6 to 9, the EU Parliament will be re-elected, followed by the European Commission. Candidacies for the House of Representatives elections must be submitted by mid-March.
Graphic: The parties line up for the EU elections
Only the SPÖ and FPÖ have permanent starters for the EU
The SPÖ was the first party to adopt its list at its party conference in Graz. The Reds are once again entering the election battle with Andreas Schieder. He was elected with 89.8 percent (one percent more than party leader Andreas Babler). In second place is the Vice President of the EU Parliament Evelyn Regner, who received 96.9 percent. The FPÖ is also calling on former top candidate Harald Vilimsky. She will finalize her list with the board in December.
NEOS MP returns home
Everything is still open for the other three parties. Although there are two interested parties at NEOS, the two government parties ÖVP and the Greens are having difficulty finding candidates. According to reports, the two members of the National Council, Helmut Brandstätter and Yannick Shetty, are available for the Pink Party. The previous EU mandate Claudia Gamon, who recently became a mother for the first time, moves to Vorarlberg state politics.
ÖVP let Karas go
The ÖVP has lost its former driving force, Othmar Karas. Or rather, he was let go. He announced in October that he would no longer run for office after becoming estranged from his party. He does not want to participate in the EU elections with his own list. However, it is still unclear whether he will do this in the elections for the National Council in the autumn.
There is currently no new candidate in sight. Minister for European and Constitutional Affairs Karoline Edtstadler has rejected this several times. She is said to have ambitions for the post of commissioner. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg is also mentioned again and again. However, his enthusiasm will probably also be limited. State Secretary Claudia Plakolm has also canceled.
Three rejections also from the green government partner
The Greens are not doing much better. They even postponed their federal congress, at which the top candidate would be elected, from December to February. The official reason for this was of course not the lack of candidates. The two ministers mentioned repeatedly, Leonore Gewessler (climate) and Alma Zadić (justice), have resigned with immediate effect.
Michel Reimon, member of the National Council, has also changed his mind and no longer wants to participate. For pollster Peter Hajek, it is currently too early to assess the baseline situation, because there are no valid studies yet. However, one can assume that in the EU elections the parties are at the forefront of decision-making and are more important than personalities.
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.
