Tailwind for Babler?

Run-off elections: All eyes are on Salzburg

Red triumph: SPÖ federal party leader Andreas Babler (left) celebrates with Bernhard Auinger, the future mayor of Salzburg.

(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

Mayoral run-off elections were held in 14 of Salzburg's 119 municipalities on Sunday. In the provincial capital, SPÖ Deputy Mayor Bernhard Auinger won a clear victory against KPÖ municipal councillor Kay-Michael Dankl. The official final result including postal votes is now available. You can read about the entire election day in the krone.at ticker.

The final result (including postal votes) of the mayoral run-off election in the city of Salzburg:

The most important events of the day in a nutshell:

• There was no classic election loser in the city of Salzburg. Both Auinger and Dankl celebrated in high spirits.

• After Auinger's victory, SPÖ federal party leader Andreas Babler was confident that he would have a tailwind for the national elections.

• Despite Dankl's defeat, there was praise from Graz's KPÖ mayor Elke Kahr: "From lone fighter in the local council to deputy mayor, that is a sensational success."

• There were some painful defeats for the ÖVP in the run-off elections. However, with 87 out of 119 mayors, it remains the leading party at municipal level in the state of Salzburg.

Read the krone.at ticker:

Pictures from election day:

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Auinger: "I'm certainly one of the happiest people"
Auinger was already just ahead of Dankl (28.0 percent) a fortnight ago with 29.4 percent. On Sunday, the result was so clear that the two "finalists" stepped in front of the cameras and microphones towards the end of the count to make their first statements. "I am certainly one of the happiest people in the city of Salzburg today," said Auinger. "After the day I met my wife and the day my two daughters were born, this is the best day of my life."