Hofburg – Vdb election campaign against Rosencrantz: Emotional duel guaranteed

People throw themselves dancing on the church day in Villach. The other poses with attractive beach volleyball athletes. The election campaign for the Hofburg is slowly getting under way. The election campaign will not be as relaxed as the photos of incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen and FPÖ candidate Walter Rosenkranz seem.

Even if Van der Bellen is considered the certain winner, there is a lot at stake for both. Van der Bellen is under pressure to be re-elected with more than 60 percent.

Rosencrantz, on the other hand, must get more votes than the FPÖ’s 20 percent in polls on election day – otherwise FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl has an internal problem. It is easy to explain why the FPÖ is sending a candidate into the race: “Middle-class voters should get used to tapping the FPÖ,” says political expert Thomas Hofer.

Van der Bellen should not act as an accomplice of the government, because the FPÖ will stage the election campaign as a memorial election. VdB has to find a middle ground: the rod in the window of the government, but as head of state he can’t really figure it out either.

The FPÖ candidate has a border crossing ahead: there must be no bullies if you want to appeal to middle-class voters. On the other hand, he must also cover the voter potential of Gerald Grosz and MFG candidate Michael Brunner.

The election campaign may well turn out to be more exciting than expected.