KPÖ candidate

Autistic man aims to enter the National Council

Lukas-Benjamin Reisinger (23) from Bad Leonfelden.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

A 23-year-old from Bad Leonfelden is politically active with the KPÖ despite his neurological developmental disorder. His dream is a job in politics. Since spring, he has been working 30 hours a week in a garden center for 605 euros, commuting every day from Mülviertel to Leonding.

Hats off to Lukas-Benjamin Reisinger. The 23-year-old is autistic. Despite this neurological developmental disorder, which is now noticeable to a manageable extent when he speaks or avoids eye contact, he has made his way. Since March, he has been going to work at the Bellaflora garden center in Leonding unaccompanied by Diakonie helpers.

I am a staunch communist and a very religious person. I go to the Jewish synagogue every Friday to pray.

Lukas-Benjamin Reisinger

"Everyone is very happy with me. But I only get 605 euros for 30 hours a week." The man from Bad Leonfelden would like a much higher salary. "I'm an enthusiastic volcanologist. Unfortunately, I still don't have enough money to visit Mount Vesuvius," he reveals to "Krone". "Another option would be for me to become a local councillor, provincial councillor or national councillor," smiles the likeable man from Mühlviertel.

In an interview with "Krone" editor Mario Zeko, Lukas-Benjamin Reisinger spoke about his difficult time at school and also about the loneliness that is typical of many autistic people.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

His second great hobby is politics. He was born with this in his cradle. Papa Michael, a native of Bad Ischl, was first with the FPÖ under Jörg Haider, later with the SPÖ and the KPÖ. His son joined the communists. "I am a communist. My grandfather was also a communist in the Czech Republic," says Reisinger, who speaks fluent Czech.

He has been active for the Communist Party since 2017. "I hope so much that we can clear the four percent hurdle and enter the National Council. At some point, I'd like to sit there too," says Reisinger, looking forward to the election results on September 29. "I'm trying to convince people of the advantages of communism. Many people mistakenly confuse communism with a dictatorship. Affordable housing is a particular concern of mine. I wish for there to be no homeless people."

Longing for a relationship
His biggest wish, however: "I would like to have a girlfriend. I've become much more open since the end of corona. I've already approached a few girls. But it hasn't worked out yet."