Wien Election Results: SPÖ Maintains Lead, FPÖ Sees Significant Gains

The recent municipal elections in Vienna have concluded with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) securing a decisive lead, according to preliminary results. With nearly all mail-in ballots counted, the SPÖ garnered approximately 39.5 percent of the votes, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous election. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), however, demonstrated a remarkable resurgence, achieving around 20.8 percent of the votes, effectively tripling its previous share.

The Green Party managed to maintain its voter base, receiving about 14.2 percent of the overall votes. The competition for the fourth position remains tight between the Neos and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), with the Neos currently at 9.8 percent and the ÖVP slightly behind at 9.7 percent. The final outcome for this contest will depend on the counting of remaining mail-in ballots, which is expected to take place Monday.

According to the latest projections from the Foresight Institute for APA and ORF, the SPÖ is expected to hold onto 39.5 percent of the votes, while the FPÖ stands at approximately 20.4 percent, and the Greens at 14.5 percent. The fluctuations in these figures remain within a margin of +/-0.3 percentage points, meaning the battle for fourth place will be resolved only after the final mail-in votes are tallied.

In comparison to the 2020 elections, the SPÖ experienced a minor decline of 2.2 percentage points, having previously achieved 41.6 percent. Conversely, the ÖVP faced a significant collapse in support, plummeting from 20.4 percent to 9.7 percent, marking the steepest decline for the party in the capital. The FPÖ's increase of 13.2 percentage points from 7.1 percent is viewed as a record rebound, while the Greens have only marginally lost ground, dropping by 0.3 points from their previous 14.8 percent.

With these results, the SPÖ is projected to secure 43 mandates in the city council, allowing it to consider several coalition options. The party could continue its partnership with the current coalition partner, which is expected to have ten mandates, or potentially collaborate with the ÖVP, which also anticipates ten mandates, or the Greens, who hold 15 mandates. While a coalition with the FPÖ, which would have 22 seats, could provide a strong majority, it is not seen as a favorable option for the SPÖ.

Both the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), which ran in conjunction with the LISTE LINKS, and the Team Strache have failed to surpass the five percent threshold required to gain representation in the council, with the KPÖ receiving 4.0 percent and Team Strache managing only 1.1 percent.

Since 1945, Vienna has been governed exclusively by Social Democratic mayors, with the exception of a brief period immediately following World War II. Michael Ludwig, who has held the mayoral office since May 2018, reinforced his leadership position and now has the opportunity to select from multiple coalition partners.

Ludwig is the eighth mayor elected by the municipal council since the end of World War II, succeeding a line of notable predecessors. His leadership continues the tradition of Social Democratic governance in the city.