Municipal elections

Gamon: “The structure of many localities is crumbling”

Neos provincial spokesperson Claudia Gamon has sworn her party in for the municipal elections in March.(Bild: Neos/Benjamin Hämmerle)

At the regional members' meeting in Rankweil, the Vorarlberg Neos party kicked off the campaign for the municipal elections in March. State spokesperson Claudia Gamon was not sparing in her criticism of the "old parties".

Like all smaller parties, the Ländle-Pinken are also struggling to establish effective structures at municipal level. Consequently, the most important goal for the upcoming municipal elections is to further strengthen the existing local groups and conquer new locations. Particularly in the densely populated localities of Hohenems, Hard, Rankweil, Nüziders and Bludenz, the Pinken want to make it onto the municipal council. The message is: anyone who wants reforms - whether on a large or small scale - must vote Neos.

The need for action is enormous, as state spokesperson Claudia Gamon emphasized in her speech at the Rankweiler Firmament: "The bankruptcy vulture is circling over the majority of municipalities. The structure of many villages is crumbling and the wrong priorities have been set for years. Now it's time to put an end to the bungling! When municipalities are over-indebted, that is political bungling. If there is a lack of adequate childcare, that is botched! When town centers become deserted and the local economy fails to thrive, that's bungling! It is high time to focus on the essentials - on the future of our communities."

The Vorarlberg Neos party held its general meeting on Saturday in the Rankweiler "Firmament".(Bild: Neos/Benjamin Hämmerle)

Efficient use of taxpayers' money
If the Pinks have their way, priority should be given to investing in education, childcare, the local economy and forward-looking projects instead of letting tax money seep away in inefficient and expensive structures: "We will pay more attention to citizens' money and ensure that it flows into sustainable and sensible measures," promises Gamon. She does not accept the objection that the influence of a small party is also very limited at municipal level: "Where we Neos are represented, a lot has already changed: A new understanding of transparency and sustainable politics is gaining ground." However, the pink frontwoman concedes that the old parties with their "rigid, ineffective structures" still form a massive bulwark: "They find it difficult to give up their outdated habits."

Plenty of room for improvement
In the 2020 municipal elections, those lists that can be clearly assigned to the Neos party received a total of three percent of the vote. In view of the fact that the party has a much broader base for the upcoming ballot, this - manageable - result could be topped.