The first TV duels between the top candidates will take place on Thursday evening on ORF. What now counts for the party leaders.
Now it’s time to get down to business. The TV duels between the top candidates start on Thursday evening on ORF. With the direct confrontations, the election campaign is entering a hot phase. “A good election campaign can ultimately make a difference of up to two percent. TV duels and media presence are an important factor,” says Christoph Haselmayer, head of the Institute for Demoscopy and Data Analysis (IFDD).
And he is not the only one who knows it: three percent can ultimately decide between victory and defeat and thus about offices and political careers in the elections for the National Council, which according to various studies is so exciting. It will be all the more important for the party leaders to be in the spotlight and leave the right impression with their own electorate.
The three major party leaders as duel debutants
One thing is also certain: the moderate confrontations in the main evening program are still new terrain for the leaders of the three big parties Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) and Andreas Babler (SPÖ). NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Green Party leader Werner Kogler, on the other hand, already have a dueling routine. “In the television debates before the last National Council elections in 2019, both did their job well and were able to convince many voters,” says Haselmayer.
In any case, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler and Green Party leader Werner Kogler will make their duel debut in this election campaign on Thursday in prime time.
Babler needs Kogler’s voters (back)
However, there can be no soft opening in the duel between the two parties to the left of the political center. “It is explosive and for both parties it is mainly about avoiding mistakes,” says Haselmayer. According to the political expert, many Greens voted for the SPÖ in the 2017 National Council elections, which led to the Greens being expelled from parliament.
“Babler now has to deliver a similar performance to get into a triple with Herbert Kickl and Karl Nehammer. Otherwise he is threatened with a third place and a discussion within the party,” says Haselmayer. Accordingly, sharp announcements and a fight for every vote can be expected. Babler ultimately has more potential on the left wing than in the center.
The second duel of the evening has a different focus. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and the pink frontwoman Beate Meinl-Reisinger. “There is little real voter exchange between the two parties. “It is mainly about appealing to your own voters,” concludes expert Nikolaus Frings
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.
