A third to a quarter of respondents do not know the Austrian top candidate for the EU elections. The best known are Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ) and Lena Schilling (Greens) with almost 50 percent each. Research by the Target Group Agency among 1,500 people shows that there is still room for improvement.
They were asked about the level of popularity of Reinhold Lopatka (ÖVP), Andreas Schieder (SPÖ), Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ), Lena Schilling (Greens) and Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS). It emerged that only a third to a quarter of respondents knew the candidate for the EU elections in June. Party political inexperience is not a disadvantage, as Schilling is still among the best known.
A bad impression prevails
Those who know the politician generally have a bad impression of him, the research also shows. Depending on the person, only a third to a quarter indicate that they had a good impression. One in four people say they cannot rate or evaluate the work of the top candidate.
Matthias Rohrer, pollster and director of Zielgruppen Büro, did not describe the result as surprising, but pointed out that some people such as Andreas Schieder and Reinhold Lopatka have been active in Austrian politics for a long time. According to him, awareness of the campaigns will improve in the coming weeks. But people also need to know what the candidate stands for.
70 percent want to vote for the EU Parliament
1,500 people aged 16 and over, representative of the Austrian electorate, were interviewed. A Eurobarometer survey among 1,000 people recently concluded that 70 percent are likely to want to vote. The image of the European Union among Austrian respondents is therefore rather negative. The future of Europe, asylum and migration, and climate change were identified as the most important issues in the election campaign in this country.
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.
