Long queues
Russians elect their president in Salzburg
The queue in front of the Russian consulate in the city of Salzburg was 500 meters long. The reason: exiled Russians wanted to vote for their president. The Russians who wanted to vote had to queue outside the consulate for several hours. There were also huge crowds in Vienna, where hundreds of people also went to the polls.
Thousands of Russians abroad showed patience on Sunday. They queued for several hours in front of the Russian consulate in Bürglsteinstraße in the city of Salzburg to cast their vote. The Russians still have until the evening to vote for their president.
Protests in Vienna too
At 2.30 pm, around 1,300 of them were queuing outside the Russian branch. Around 33,000 Russians live in Austria. They can only exercise their right to vote in elections at the embassy in Vienna and the consulate in Salzburg. Numerous Russians from neighboring Germany also flocked to Salzburg to vote. Several consulates, for example in Munich, are closed.
Protests also made themselves felt in Vienna. The biggest rush in the federal capital was observed shortly before 12 noon. At peak time, around 1,300 people were standing in front of the Russian embassy in the third district, waiting to be admitted to the ballot box. The result was a queue about 350 meters long.
There have been no free and fair elections in Russia for 20 years. This makes it all the more important to set an example here and now.
Philosophie-Studentin Alisa S. (21) ist extra aus Prag (Tschechien) nach Wien gereist
Medical student Lev I. (21), wearing a light gray sweater with the Russian flag, says after casting his vote: "I support the president. He's good for our country." Philosophy student Alisa S., who has traveled all the way from Prague, is against Putin. For her and her friends, it is important to set an example. She does not want to reveal which (pseudo) opposing candidate she voted for. What is striking is that many young people here wait patiently until they get to the ballot box.
Of course, there will be no surprises in the election. Only the current Russian President Vladimir Putin and three other loyal candidates are on the ballot paper. Critics of the government and opponents of the war in Ukraine were not even allowed to vote.
Protests in Russia
Protests against Putin's rule took place in Russia itself at the weekend. There too, long queues formed outside polling stations. Supporters of the deceased opposition figure Alexei Navalny had called for people to go and vote in order to send a harmless protest signal. The civil rights portal OVD-Info counted around 50 arrests.
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