Expert analyzes

“The federal government is sliding into the election campaign finale”

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen gave FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl the task of forming a government.(Bild: Imre Antal)

The FPÖ and ÖVP are holding talks at federal level about forming a possible coalition. How will this affect the regional elections in Burgenland on 19 January? Political expert Thomas Hofer on the effects on the individual parties.

Following the collapse of the Zuckerl coalition, FPÖ federal party leader Herbert Kickl and the new ÖVP leader Christian Stocker have now started talks about a possible government. For political expert Thomas Hofer, this means that the federal level is also "stumbling" into the finale of the Burgenland state election campaign.

SPÖ: "Development helps Doskozil"
"Clearly, this development is helping Governor Hans Peter Doskozil," explains Hofer. He had distanced himself from the SPÖ negotiators around party leader Andreas Babler from the outset. The discussion about the budget shortfall at federal level is also not unfavorable for him. "Doskozil can present Burgenland as a haven of stability," says the political consultant. At the same time, he also presents himself as the antithesis of Blue-Turquoise.

ÖVP: "Uphill election campaign" for Sagartz
"The People's Party is at an impasse in the federal government," is Hofer's conclusion. On the one hand, the failure of the Zuckerl coalition, and on the other, the turnaround towards the FPÖ under Herbert Kickl, who had long been warned against. This is definitely no help for the ÖVP-Burgenland. "Christian Sagartz has to run an 'uphill campaign' in the race for second place," explains the political expert. At the same time, he cannot keep up with Doskozil and Hofer in terms of popularity and name recognition.

The election campaign in Burgenland is entering its finale.(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT / APA / picturedesk.com)

FPÖ: "Glass a little less full"
The Freedom Party could no longer play the "victim card" so easily. This will also have an effect on the state party: "The glass is perhaps a little less full, without having made any mistakes," analyzes Hofer. Nevertheless, the FPÖ will make strong gains in Burgenland.

Greens: "Another nail-biter" 
 "There is still the threat of a nail-biter for entry into the state parliament," explains the political expert. The recent events would have little impact, with the negative trend of the last elections still having a greater impact.

Neos, Liste Hausverstand: "Short election campaign as a disadvantage"

 "It is even more difficult for both parties than for the Greens," says the political expert. They have hardly any attention, and the very short election campaign would make this even more difficult. There would also be no tailwind from the federal government for the Neos.