Eleven mandates lost

Zwettl: ÖVP-affiliated list cracks “black absolute”

ÖVP town leader Franz Mold narrowly lost the absolute in Zwettl.(Bild: Klaus Schindler)

The ÖVP bastion in Zwettl has fallen. Former ÖVP member Alex Leutgeb's list has snatched eleven seats from the Black Party. The SPÖ also suffered heavy losses. It "flew" out of five municipal councils and is therefore no longer represented in seven municipalities.

A bang in the town of Zwettl: the election results were eagerly awaited with the launch of the new "Zwettl braucht" list led by former ÖVP member Alex Leutgeb. Shock for the ÖVP: it lost eleven seats by just a few votes and thus also lost its absolute majority. It now only holds 18 of the 37 municipal council seats.

SPÖ now only has one seat
The eleven seats went seamlessly to the Leutgeb list. The FPÖ also gained two seats and now holds four seats, while the Greens lost two and now hold two seats. The Neos are also moving into Zwettl town hall. They won one seat from the SPÖ. This leaves the Reds with just one seat.

Many losses and a consolation for the SPÖ
There were also many defeats for the Red Party in the 24-municipality district of Zwettl: not only did they not stand as candidates in two municipalities, they were also kicked off five municipal councils because they lost their last mandate. One red consolation is Bärnkopf, where Christian Hörhan, the successor to long-term mayor Arnold Bauernfried, gained an absolute.