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[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Norbert Hofer admitted his defeat on his facebook page, we're still waiting for Innsbruck to recount their ballots for an official statement.

Yesterday during the ballot it was basically 50/50 and we had to wait for postal votes to be the deciding factor. Historically a demography favourable for the Green party and candidate Alexander Van der Bellen.


Update: It's official VdB wins with 50.3% and ~30.000 votes difference, at 4+ million voters.

 

[Red Arremer]

Very glad about this outcome.

 

[Milchjon]

So happy if this stands.

Still, 50% for an asshole like him and his party is worrying...

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Unpleasantly close, but a huge win for the Austrian Greens.

Still, 0.4% between the two! That's really something.

 

[Red Arremer]

50.35% for Van der Bellen. Participation was at a massive 72.7%.

Unpleasantly close, but a huge win for the Austrian Greens.

It honestly wasn't a win for the Greens, and more for the parties against the FPÖ.

 

[hobblygobbly]

It's good that Hofer didn't win, these elections give a good glimpse of what to expect with the parliamentary elections which I imagine will be just as close.

 

[darkace]

Two awful choices, but at least the slightly less awful choice won.

 

[Karsticles]

This thread feels like a preview of the US elections.

 

[Zatoth]

Did not expect that result. I assumed it would be a clear victory for Hofer. Glad I was wrong. But still scary that such a huge number of voters decided on him.

 

[Bedameister]

This thread feels like a preview of the US elections.

Oh please god no, my heart wouldn't be able to take it.

Man that was close. I'm very happy that VdB won but half the country voting for Hofer. That's scary.

 

[Red Arremer]

Two awful choices, but at least the slightly less awful choice won.

Slightly?
Norbert Hofer as president would've meant a very likely minority government for the FPÖ come the next election, and that likely would not have been in even 2 years - Hofer very likely would've dismissed the government very soon. And they definitely would've worked at chipping away the democratic structures within the Austrian Republic in order to make it a more dictatorial state like Hungary and Poland.

With Van der Bellen as president, even if we get a chancellor Strache in 2 years, we won't get a minority FP government. There has to be at least a coalition, and that coalition partnership will heavily soften the blows against the democratic structures. Unless that coalition partner is the ÖVP, then it's probably going to be a repeat of 2000-2007.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

It's good that Hofer didn't win, these elections give a good glimpse of what to expect with the parliamentary elections which I imagine will be just as close.

We have 6+ parties so looking at the first round would be more indicative and the 2 governing parties fared awfully there but with less than popular candidates. The reigning party even changed leadership since the 1st round. Still scary but I don't expect a first place for FPÖ any time soon.

 

[Red Arremer]

We have 6+ parties so looking at the first round would be more indicative and the 2 governing parties fared awfully there but with less than popular candidates.

It's very likely Team Stronach is going to disintegrate (with their voters probably going straight to the FP) and Irmgard Griss might opt into founding a party - she's been sorta hinting at that possibility after her strong success in the presidential election. I assume she will try to fish for the centrist votes that are spread across all of the parties.

The reigning party even changed leadership since the 1st round. Still scary but I don't expect a first place for FPÖ any time soon.

I'm super glad the SPÖ woke up from their coma after the presidential election. It's a shame the ÖVP didn't. Then again, the more the ÖVP loses, the better.

 

[Kater]

Man I was so happy to hear this, I was so anxious until now. So glad that Strache won't have his personal puppet Hofer in the Hofburg and instead an opposition to his party.

 

[Zatoth]

It's very likely Team Stronach is going to disintegrate (with their voters probably going straight to the FP) and Irmgard Griss might opt into founding a party - she's been sorta hinting at that possibility after her strong success in the presidential election. I assume she will try to fish for the centrist votes that are spread across all of the parties.

I'd welcome a party of Griss. News parties tend to take away voters from the FPÖ. The only good thing about Team Stronach.

 

[Lime]

This was such a close call I can't believe it.

 

[KingSnake]

That was scary close. The result is still scary, because half of the people voted for an extremist. but at least there is no immediate aftermath for it.

Hopefully the former big parties will end their coma, one way or another, because at this point they only hurt everything and help FPÖ.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I'd welcome a party of Griss. News parties tend to take away voters from the FPÖ. The only good thing about Team Stronach.

Except the NEOS were the nail in the coffin that is ÖVP. Maybe we can talk about gay marriage again once they are out of the government.

It's very likely Team Stronach is going to disintegrate (with their voters probably going straight to the FP) and Irmgard Griss might opt into founding a party - she's been sorta hinting at that possibility after her strong success in the presidential election. I assume she will try to fish for the centrist votes that are spread across all of the parties.

I'm super glad the SPÖ woke up from their coma after the presidential election. It's a shame the ÖVP didn't. Then again, the more the ÖVP loses, the better.

I voted Griss but she didn't seem to take the loss very well. If she can keep the church out of it I might be along a new party, I usually vote for the lesser evil nowadays.

 

[Iokis]

I was clenched till the news broke over Twitter (as just about every Austrian news outlet went down under the weight of all those refreshes).

But this is less of a victory and more of a warning shot - Van der Bellen, the Greens and indeed political parties across Europe need to take a good hard look at what they can do to stop right-wing populism sweeping across the continent.

The threat might not have managed to come through the door, but they're going to keep knocking on it.

 

[Red Arremer]

And the NEOS finally the nail in the coffin that is ÖVP. Maybe we can talk about gay marriage again once they are out of the government.

I'm not sure about the long-term survivability of the NEOS. The LIF did quite well in their first election but sunk further and further each time.

Also a big shame Heide Schmidt completely pulled out of politics. She's such a smart and fantastic politician.

 

[Siegcram]

Way too close, but I'll take it.

 

[Red Arremer]

I voted Griss but she didn't seem to take the loss very well. If she can keep the church out of it I might be along a new party, I usually vote for the lesser evil nowadays.

I voted Griss as well. She has massive potential to pull in a lot of the centrist voters from the FPÖ that are upset with the SPÖVP structures.
Also, her societal position is more liberal (she is definitely in favour of gay marriage, for instance), so I doubt she'd try to appeal to the hardcore Christian audience the ÖVP tries to serve.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I voted Griss as well. She has massive potential to pull in a lot of the centrist voters from the FPÖ that are upset with the SPÖVP structures.
Also, her societal position is more liberal (she is definitely in favour of gay marriage, for instance), so I doubt she'd try to appeal to the hardcore Christian audience the ÖVP tries to serve.

It'd be nice to have a party one likes for a change. We need another right fleshling party in time for next parliamentary election though, it worked the last couple times.

 

[Dr_LucienSanchez]

Thank Christ. Have a few family members that voted for Hofer, so I imagine they're gutted (can't wait to have a chat with them though, that'll be fun).

 

[tomtom94]

Hope not hate!

 

[Varjet]

Dodged a bullet there, but now it's back to reality.

 

[Ambitious]

Shit, that was close. Staring at the 50/50 charts yesterday was unsettling.

 

[Violet_0]

that half the population supports Hofer and Strache is still a reason of concern, not that I'm surprised about it at all

 

[Iksenpets]

It's good that Hofer didn't win, these elections give a good glimpse of what to expect with the parliamentary elections which I imagine will be just as close.

Not an expert on Austrian government, but at least in parliament the other parties can form an anti-far-right coalition, even if these guys take a plurality of seats, correct? Or is this a situation where the Greens would never accept coalition with the traditional parties or something?

 

[jaekeem]

great result! makes me optimistic

 

[Varjet]

that half the population supports Hofer and Strache is still a reason of concern, not that I'm surprised about it at all

Well, afaik one of the most common motives of voters (on either side) was preventing a victory of the other guy.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Thank god. Voted VdB. Let the blues stay out of goverment god dammit.

 

[Des0lar]

Very close call but so glad it all worked out in the end.

Now off to Facebook to indulge in FPÖ tears

 

[Dingens]

It's good that Hofer didn't win, these elections give a good glimpse of what to expect with the parliamentary elections which I imagine will be just as close.

that half the population supports Hofer and Strache is still a reason of concern, not that I'm surprised about it at all

that's not a good conclusion to draw from this....
Both candidates were somewhat polarizing in their own way and just as there were VdB voter who just voted for him because they didn't want Hofer to win, the opposite might be true as well. And I really doubt that most people who voted for Hofer truly knew what this guy was really about (see below)

What we see here is the cumulation of ~6 parties fused into two.
The FPÖ cannot win in a multi-party system. The first round, although primarily about personalities rather than parties showed that clearly.

If anything we should be glad that we dodged a bullet this time and get to work on how to unmask the far right, and expose their true face to the public. from personal experience, there are about 3 groups of people who vote for them:
1) straight up neo-nazis
2) "concerned citizens" who are looking for easy answers to complex issues such as immigration
3) people who honestly believe that the FPÖ is actually a party with leftist policy...

Calling them out for being xenophobic rightwing biggots hasn't worked the last 40 years, and this strategies effectiveness is dwindling even further

 

[Art Teitlebaum]

Congrats you lovely Ösis! Crisis averted. You did the right thing at last. The turnout numbers can make all democrats proud.

 

[Durante]

This was far closer than it should have been. At least it made people interested in politics again I guess.

Two awful choices, but at least the slightly less awful choice won.

I don't see it. Van der Bellen isn't fantastic or anything, but he hardly qualifies as "awful".

 

[Sulik2]

If he was running on the standard right-wing muslims are scary platform its not surprising he got this many votes. Nothing like drawing out the fear and latent racism in huge chunks of the worlds population to get into office.

 

[Red Arremer]

Not an expert on Austrian government, but at least in parliament the other parties can form an anti-far-right coalition, even if these guys take a plurality of seats, correct? Or is this a situation where the Greens would never accept coalition with the traditional parties or something?

This would be technically correct to my knowledge, yes.
The Greens are perfectly fine making coalitions with the other parties. I can see a strong front made of SPÖ, NEOS and Greens in the upcoming election, and I would definitely welcome a red-pink-green coalition.

I only see the ÖVP losing by a large margin.

 

[Zatoth]

This was far closer than it should have been. At least it made people interested in politics again I guess.

And they know about NLP and chemtrails now.

 

[Oersted]

This gotta be the chemtrails speaking out of him. /Jk, obviously

 

[Durante]

I only see the ÖVP losing by a large margin.

I agree, but while that would usually be a joyous occasion, it's marred by the fact that I see the vast majority of those voters going straight to the FPÖ. And if you combine that with the expected reduction in the SPÖ base it paints an ugly picture.

And they know about NLP and chemtrails now.

I heard that the Bilderberg group planned the result of this election from the beginning.

 

[Red Arremer]

I agree, but while that would usually be a joyous occasion, it's marred by the fact that I see the vast majority of those voters going straight to the FPÖ. And if you combine that with the expected reduction in the SPÖ base it paints an ugly picture.

I'm hoping for Griss to pull through and make a party, and for the SPÖ to wake up. That change of their half of the cabinet shows that there's certainly realization there. I know that deep within the machinations of the SPÖ, the same old guard will sit at the levers, but I do hope that there might be some revolution within it within the next 2 years.

The SPÖ has been given a final chance to prove it is willing to be modern and try to solve problems. I am optimistic about it happening. The ÖVP will stay stagnant, and I hope that if Griss comes in, her party and the Neos will take more from the VP voters than the FP does. In fact, I'm hoping Griss will sap some strength from the FP as well - she can easily target the centrist people who are fed up with the 2 government parties but don't want to vote Green or Neos. And that is not an insignificant portion of the FP voters.

 

[Zatoth]

Will also be interesting to see if this will lead to a power struggle in the FPÖ. But don't know too much about Hofer and his ambitions.

 

[iamaustrian]

the just aired presidential statement by van der bellen was great.
He will be a very good president for our beautiful country.
what an overly intelligent and wise old man.
the gandalf of austrian politics.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I'd rather have Fischer back though.

 

[Durante]

Will also be interesting to see if this will lead to a power struggle in the FPÖ. But don't know too much about Hofer and his ambitions.

A Strache/Hofer power struggle would be beautiful (and poetic, evil destroying itself and all that), but I don't see it happening.

 

[linkandzelda]

Relieved at the outcome.

 

[Gutek]

The west is moving to the right. Although Austria got lucky, the overall trends are disconcerting.

Don't fuck with the middle class.

 

[MrV4ltor]

I was literally the only person in my family to vote for Van der Bellen, so thank god he pulled through.

 

[OverBlood 3]

Thank fuck

1+ humanity