Styrians were polled

Bad mood decided the election

For Christopher Drexler (ÖVP), the state parliament election was more than sobering.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

As after every election, the question of why arises in Styria. The election survey conducted by Foresight/ISA on behalf of ORF shows: Drexler was a voting motive for very few ÖVP voters, instead 38 percent of Styrians locate a negative development in the last five years.

Why did voters opt for the respective party? One thing is certain: The mood among voters is poor. 38 percent of those surveyed stated that Styria had developed negatively over the past five years. This is likely to have helped the FPÖ. The analysis shows that the ÖVP has the most regular voters (23 percent). Christopher Drexler was only a voting motive for 6% - in 2019, Hermann Schützenhöfer was the decisive factor for 21% of ÖVP voters.

Anger reigned among FPÖ voters
The researchers wanted to know how voters felt about the coalition negotiations in the federal government: Only 26 percent expressed confidence, but around a third each had anger and concern. Among FPÖ voters in particular, anger reigns supreme with 66%.

Christoph Hofinger, head of Foresight, surveyed 1246 Styrians by telephone and online about their motives.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The issues that move people were inflation, health and care - health came first among older people, while inflation dominated among those under 34 with 34%. Immigration was the most discussed topic among FPÖ voters: 67% spoke about it very frequently. More than half of FPÖ voters stated that they had to cut back financially due to inflation.

Statistically speaking, the FPÖ owes its election victory primarily to men (39%) and people aged between 35 and 59 (47%), especially those without a school-leaving certificate. The ÖVP was able to score points with voters over 60 (39%). The Greens, Neos and KPÖ had their best results among women up to 44, with ten and eleven percent respectively. The opinions of FPÖ voters on the question of which parties should be represented in the next government are also particularly interesting: 47% want the ÖVP as a partner, 31% the SPÖ.