Vorarlberg election

“Affordable housing is flying in the face of the ÖVP!”

(Bild: krone.tv)

"Krone" Vorarlberg journalist Sonja Schlingensiepen analyzes the current situation on krone.tv a few days before the state election on Sunday: "In general, Vorarlberg is a state where the parties treat each other fairly. But in 2022 we had the Wirtschaftsbund scandal, and a lot of trust was lost in politics and in Governor Markus Wallner."

Schlingensiepen continued: "In recent years, the ÖVP should have implemented more of its last election program in 2019. The issue of housing in particular has become very problematic and rents have skyrocketed. The issue of 'affordable housing' is now blowing up in the ÖVP's face." The typical Vorarlberg credo 'Create, create, build houses' is no longer feasible these days because land prices have also risen dramatically.  

Security issue relevant
In addition to the housing issue, the migration problem also played a major role in the Vorarlberg state election campaign. Schlingensiepen: "Although the FPÖ under Christof Bitschi always makes it clear in Vorarlberg that they are not part of the federal FPÖ, they also like to play up the issue of security here. Bitschi himself is a relatively young top candidate, with perfect rhetoric and a shrewd manner."

Mario Leiter, the leader of the Ländle-SPÖ, in turn prefers business-related topics and also had ex-SPÖ federal party leader Christian Kern on a visit to Vorarlberg. The NEOS, on the other hand, are traditionally strong in Vorarlberg and are growing steadily. "Matthias Stolz, the founder of NEOS, is also from Vorarlberg."

Black-blue coalition?
According to "Krone" Vorarlberg domestic politics editor Schlingensiepen, the future cooperation between the two parties after the state elections is already foreseeable: "There will be a black-blue coalition. It will all come down to a coalition between Markus Wallner and Christof Bitschi."