According to a survey, the majority of Austrians are against snap new elections for the National Council and a merger with the EU elections into a super election Sunday. Main reason: Citizens must have sufficient time to form an opinion.
According to the results of a current Gallup poll, only 37 percent of eligible voters support moving the election from the planned fall date to the spring, while 50 percent oppose it. 13 percent did not comment on this. From the perspective of those surveyed, early elections would mainly benefit the FPÖ, according to the survey results.
Only a third want a merger
When asked about merging the National Council elections with the EU elections scheduled for June 9, the picture is similar: only 33 percent would prefer this option, 51 percent are against such a scenario. 16 percent provided no information or had no opinion about it. This is evident from the ‘Gallup mood barometer’, for which 1,000 people were surveyed (online, survey period January 23 to 29, 2024).
The desire for early elections is particularly strong among FPÖ sympathizers at 68 percent. Curious: The SPÖ submitted a new election proposal to the National Council on Wednesday, although only 35 percent of its supporters could imagine an earlier vote. 26 percent of NEOS sympathizers want new elections, ÖVP and Green supporters are the least enthusiastic about bringing the elections forward, each at 22 percent.
The FPÖ will probably benefit most from new elections
When asked which party would benefit from previous elections, 46 percent said the FPÖ. 17 percent expect the SPÖ to benefit from this, 14 percent mention the ÖVP, ten percent the Beer Party, nine percent the KPÖ. The NEOS came out with only seven percent on this question, the Greens were mentioned with six percent. 17 percent said it would benefit neither side, 20 percent provided no information.
For 64 percent of respondents, the most important argument for making progress is that the costs of the election campaign will be reduced; For 63 percent, the argument that you only have to vote once is also convincing. 56 percent believe this could increase voter turnout. 41 percent said yes to the answer option “I am dissatisfied with the current federal government and would like to see a new government formed quickly.”
Many people need time to form an opinion
According to those surveyed, the main argument against bringing forward the vote is that citizens should have sufficient time “to form an opinion before each of the two elections” (57 percent). 46 percent fear that joint elections could miss important issues, and 40 percent believe joint elections could overwhelm citizens. 39 percent said the federal government should have the opportunity to “implement its plans by the end of its term.”
When it comes to the issues that matter in the elections, the ‘Health, Care and Social Affairs’ block was mentioned most often at 62 percent, followed by the economy (53 percent), migration and integration (48), energy policy ( 45 percent). ) and order and security in the country (42).
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.
