Intensive election campaign

Kick-off in Graz: Styrian ÖVP starts turbo tour

Christopher Drexler in the middle of the arena(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The issues of security and migration took center stage at the ÖVP's election campaign kick-off in the Graz exhibition hall - and the ÖVP leader also stuck to the duel announcement in his speech: the title fight is Drexler versus Kunasek. 

On Monday evening, the Styrian ÖVP transformed the Graz exhibition hall into an election campaign arena, where party leader Christopher Drexler entered the ring - accompanied by drums and trumpets and followed by the other black state parliament candidates. This heralded the start of the "Styrian market tour", the prelude to the intensive election match. The governor wants to visit all Styrian districts by Sunday - a turbo tour, so to speak.

And even if the red coalition partner doesn't like to hear it, the ÖVP leader stuck to the duel announcement in his speech: the title fight is Drexler versus Kunasek. And the topics he addressed are often in line with the blue election program.

Former governor Hermann Schützenhöfer with his wife and actor August Schmölzer(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The ÖVP government team(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Focus on security and migration
This also applies to the focus on security and migration. Drexler called for tougher criminal law for violent crimes and praised the two protection zones in Graz: "Criminal migrants in particular must not be allowed to dance around on the nose of our police!" He also demanded that immigrants "should be given full access to social benefits after five years of legal residence in Austria at the earliest".

Nehammer did not come
The fact that federal party chairman Karl Nehammer did not come to Graz to support Drexler caused quite a stir in the Viennese press. It is being reported that there is disgruntlement between the state and federal ÖVP because Nehammer accepted the government mandate immediately - and did not give preference to Herbert Kickl. This would only help the Freedom Party, the Styrians are known to have protested.