Party in pink

Celebrating gains and a chance of government

The pink election party at the MAK(Bild: Heinz Stephan Tesarek)

The NEOS overtook the Greens and celebrated their strongest result in National Council elections. They present themselves all the more as a reform force for a possible three-party coalition.

Loud pop music in the Museum of Applied Arts. Interrupted by news broadcasts and poll updates. Cheers erupt regularly. The NEOS are celebrating their election success - the biggest in National Council elections since the economic liberal party was founded.

The match for 4th place won
People were already queuing at the entrance before 5 pm. National and international TV crews and members of the press crowded outside and inside. Then the first projection at 5 pm. Huge cheers. The match for fourth place had been won, ahead of the Greens and just short of ten percent. A magical hurdle that the NEOS have never crossed in National Council elections. In the end, the Pinks, led by Beate Meinl-Reisinger, ended up with around nine percent. Another step forward, albeit not a gigantic one.

"We are available for reforms - just not with Herbert Kickl"
 Nevertheless, the NEOS are the second winners on this evening. Beate Meinl-Reisinger was unequivocal: "We are available for a fresh start and reforms - just not with Herbert Kickl." The leader did not arrive at the party until later in the evening, before which Secretary General Douglas Hoyos and EU veteran Helmut Brandstätter set the mood.

Both were noticeably tired from the election campaign. However, many of those present derived "a mandate to co-govern" from the result. In fact, this option is becoming increasingly realistic if the election losers ÖVP and SPÖ manage to form a coalition without Herbert Kickl's FPÖ. The celebrations were intense and lasted long into the night. But not too intense. The first debriefings continue on Monday.