Another change of power?

Battle for the once proud, red Bandlkramer town

In the "golden age", around 1000 people worked in the textile industry in the Bandlkramer town of Groß Siegharts. The castle is the seat of the town council. ÖVP mayor Achleitner (left) and SPÖ capo Kopecek (right) are vying for supremacy there. Should there be no more "absolutes", FPÖ leader Halwachs (center) could become the "kingmaker".(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Privat, ZVG)

Does the referendum against wind power also mean a headwind for the ÖVP in the local council elections in the Bandlkramer town of Groß Siegharts? In 2020, the Blacks snatched absolute power from the SPÖ with a landslide victory. Today, the Reds are flirting with the FPÖ, which may become the "kingmaker" there. What else is going on in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya...

For tens of years, the working-class town of Groß Siegharts in the Waldviertel had raised the red flags, and the absolute SPÖ majority was secured until 2020. A political earthquake, including a landslide victory, then saw the ÖVP win 14 of the 21 municipal council seats and take power.