Greens Already Close

New Poll: SPÖ Even Has to Worry About Third Place

With Andreas Babler at the helm, the SPÖ continues its steep decline in the polls.(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

In the new “Krone” poll, the ruling parties’ approval ratings have hit a new low. The Social Democrats have even dropped to 15 percent and feel the Greens breathing down their necks.

No change at the top: The poll, conducted for “Krone” by the Institute for Public Opinion Research and Data Analysis (IFDD), shows that the FPÖ remains unchallenged at the top. If National Council elections were held next Sunday, Herbert Kickl would receive 37 percent. Behind them, a gaping black-and-turquoise void remains.

• Chancellor Christian Stocker’s ÖVP holds steady at 20 percent

• while the SPÖ has plummeted to a dramatic 15 percent.

• The Greens are climbing to a strong 13 percent.

• The NEOS are still at 7 percent.

• Following Elke Kahr’s landslide victory in Graz, the KPÖ is at 5 percent—which would mean a seat in the National Council.

Gewessler is hot on the heels of the Vice Chancellor
For the Social Democrats, this is a warning sign from the Greens. In the 2024 National Council election, they secured 21.1 percent—the worst result in their history. Now their lead over the Green Party is shrinking to two points. Taking the margin of error into account, it becomes clear that the Reds and the Greens could very well be neck and neck. The party that once held the chancellorship is thus in danger of slipping to fourth place. What stands out is that all three governing parties are losing significant ground compared to the National Council election.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Imre Antal (2), Manhart Eva, Mario Urbantschitsch, Christian Jauschowetz (2))

In a hypothetical direct chancellor election, Kickl leads with 38 percent, ahead of Stocker with 24 percent. Behind them, the race for vice chancellor is shaping up to be another nail-biter: Andreas Babler’s lead over Leonore Gewessler is now down to just one percentage point.

Meanwhile, other figures are likely to cause concern within the ÖVP. While 37 percent of Austrians believed at the beginning of the year that Stocker should play an important role in the future, that figure has now dropped to just 32 percent for the “Summer Tour Chancellor.”

With Andreas Babler, the SPÖ continues its steep decline in the polls.(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

The Graz KPÖ’s momentum is reaching all the way to Vienna
The Communists’ numbers are noteworthy. With 5 percent, the KPÖ would clear the four-percent threshold and enter the National Council for the first time since 1959. The KPÖ is also fishing in the same voter pool as the SPÖ.

The details of the latest poll.(Bild: IFDD)

Pollster: “SPÖ Following in the SPD’s Footsteps”
“Babler’s left-wing course was the best catalyst for the Communists at the federal level,” concludes IFDD Director and pollster Christoph Haselmayer, adding: “The SPÖ’s decline continues dramatically; with Andreas Babler, it’s down to just 15 percent, and in a direct election, he’d only reach 13 percent. This is the worst result ever recorded for the SPÖ with Andreas Babler at the federal level by any polling institute. The SPÖ is following in the footsteps of Germany’s SPD, which currently stands at just 13 percent. Leonore Gewessler and her Greens are polling at a robust 13 percent—a significant increase compared to the 2024 National Council election.”

IFDD Director Haselmayer.(Bild: krone.tv )

According to Haselmayer, this means the Greens are now, for the first time in history, within striking distance of the Social Democrats. Another notable point for Haselmayer: “The NEOS, led by Beate Meinl-Reisinger—the coalition partner that has remained stable in recent months—has slipped to 7 percent. This means the liberal party is now also below its election result.”