2024 Vorarlberg state election
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All 36 seats in the Landtag of Vorarlberg 19 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 185,182 (68.1%)  6.7pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 ÖVP (black) and FPÖ (blue) results by municipality. Darker shades indicate a stronger vote share. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Vorarlberg state election of 2024 was held in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg on 13 October 2024.[1]
Background
[edit]In the 2019 state election, the ÖVP was the strongest party with 43.5% of the vote, but fell short of the absolute mandate majority. With 18.9%, the Greens achieved their best election result to date in a Vorarlberg state election and became the second strongest party for the first time. The FPÖ was the only party to suffer losses and fell to third place with 13.9%. The SPÖ was able to recover minimally, reaching 9.5%, while NEOS obtained 8.5% of the vote. The small parties "Home to all Cultures" (HAK) and "Xi – Future Opportunity" were able to obtain results above 1%, but ultimately failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter parliament.[2]
The ÖVP decided to continue the previous coalition with the Greens after negotiations that lasted less than two weeks.[3] In the constituent session of the Landtag on 13 October 2019, the state government under Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) was sworn in.[4]
Contesting parties
[edit]Parties already in the Landtag
[edit]| No. | Logo | Name[5] | Shortform | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Governor Markus Wallner – Vorarlberg People's Party | VP | Markus Wallner |
| 2 | 
|
The Greens – The Green Alternative Vorarlberg | GRÜNE | Daniel Zadra |
| 3 | 
|
List Christof Bitschi – Freedom Party Vorarlberg | FPÖ | Christof Bitschi |
| 4 | 
|
Mario Leiter – Social Democratic Party Vorarlberg | SPÖ | Mario Leiter |
| 5 | 
|
NEOS – The New Vorarlberg | NEOS | Claudia Gamon |
Parties not in the Landtag
[edit]For a party to contest in the election, they have to enter at least on list in one of the four districts of Vorarlberg. To be able to do so, they need 100 validated signatures per district.[6] The deadline for entering was 23 August 2024 at 5pm CEST.[7]
The following parties have fulfilled the requirements and will appear on the ballot:[8]
| No. | Logo | Name[5] | Shortform | Leader | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 
|
Xi – HaK – G!LT[A 1] | X | Chris Alge | Big tent
|
| 7 | 
|
We - Platform for Families and Child protection | WIR | Christoph Alton | Familialism Social conservatism |
| 8 | 
|
Communist Party of Austria | KPÖ | Sascha Kulasevic | Communism Socialism |
| 9 | .png){kind=logo}
|
The other Vorarlberg | ANDRS | Bernhard Amann | Eco-socialism |
Non-contesting parties
[edit]A participation of the following parties have been speculated, yet they declined and did not enter the election:[9]
- BIER Partei (Beer Party)
- MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights
- Der Wandel (The Change)
Opinion polling
[edit]| Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size |
ÖVP | Grüne | FPÖ | SPÖ | NEOS | Others | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 state election | 13 Oct 2024 | – | 38.3 | 12.3 | 28.0 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 3.2 | 10.2 |
| Spectra/VN[10][11] | 14–29 Aug 2024 | 501 | 31 | 18 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Peter Hajek/NEOS Vorarlberg[12] | Dec 2023 | – | 30 | 14 | 29 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| Berndt/FPÖ Vorarlberg[12] | Nov 2023 | 702 | 33 | 13 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Berndt/FPÖ Vorarlberg[12] | 17 Oct–3 Nov 2022 | 503 | 29 | 14 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
| Gallup/VN[12] | 21 May 2022[a] | 500 | 32 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| Gallup/VN[12] | 23 Mar–10 Apr 2022 | 500 | 36 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 20 |
| Berndt/VN[12] | 12–15 Oct 2021 | 503 | 36 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 20 |
| 2019 state election | 13 Oct 2019 | – | 43.5 | 18.9 | 13.9 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 5.7 | 17.8 |
Result
[edit]
| ||||||
| Party | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) | 70,638 | 38.3 | –5.2 | 15 | –2 | |
| Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) | 51,639 | 28.0 | +14.1 | 11 | +6 | |
| The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE) | 22,926 | 12.4 | –6.5 | 4 | –3 | |
| Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) | 16,713 | 9.1 | –0.4 | 3 | –1 | |
| NEOS – The New Austria (NEOS) | 16,477 | 8.9 | +0.4 | 3 | ±0 | |
| Xi – HaK – G!LT (X) | 2,249 | 1.2 | New | 0 | New | |
| WIR – Platform for Families and Child Protection (WIR) | 1,459 | 0.8 | +0.1 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) | 1.385 | 0.8 | New | 0 | New | |
| The other Vorarlberg (ANDRS) | 934 | 0.5 | New | 0 | New | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 762 | 0.4 | – | – | – | |
| Total | 185,182 | 100 | – | 36 | 0 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 271,882 | 68.1 | +6.7 | – | – | |
| Source: Vorarlberg Government | ||||||
Results by constituency
[edit]| Constituency | ÖVP | FPÖ | GRÜNE | SPÖ | NEOS | Others | Total seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | ||
| Bludenz | 41.8 | 29.8 | 8.5 | 10.4 | 7.2 | 2.2 | ||||||
| Bregenz | 40.6 | 26.1 | 12.2 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 3.1 | ||||||
| Dornbirn | 32.2 | 29.9 | 14.4 | 9.9 | 9.7 | 4.0 | ||||||
| Feldkirch | 37.9 | 27.8 | 13.7 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 3.5 | ||||||
| Remaining seats | ||||||||||||
| Total | 38.3 | 15 | 28.0 | 11 | 12.4 | 4 | 9.1 | 3 | 8.9 | 3 | 3.3 | 36 |
| Source: Vorarlberg Government | ||||||||||||
Aftermath
[edit]Government formation
[edit]On 16 October, Governor Wallner (ÖVP) announced exploration talks with the FPÖ. He wanted quick coalition talks – with a conclusion in early November – so that the new ÖVP-FPÖ government could be sworn in when the new Landtag convened on 6 November.[13]
The ÖVP and FPÖ formed a governing coalition, which was sworn in on 6 November.[14][15] Wallner was sworn in as governor on 11 November.[16]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Date of publication of poll; fieldwork date unknown.
References
[edit]- ^ Prock, Michael. "Der Landtagswahltermin steht fest". Vorarlberger Nachrichten | VN.at (in German). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "Wahlen" (in German). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Schwarz-Grün II in Vorarlberg mit großer Mehrheit beschlossen" (in German). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Schwarz-grüne Vorarlberger Landesregierung angelobt" (in German). 7 November 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Landtagswahl 2024". Land Vorarlberg (in Austrian German). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ "RIS - Landtagswahlgesetz - Landesrecht konsolidiert Vorarlberg, Fassung vom 01.08.2024". www.ris.bka.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Landtagswahl 2024". Land Vorarlberg (in Austrian German). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ red, vorarlberg ORF at/Agenturen (23 August 2024). "Neun Parteien auf dem Stimmzettel" [Nine parties on the ballot]. vorarlberg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ red, vorarlberg ORF at/Agenturen (28 July 2024). "Bierpartei und MFG treten nicht an". vorarlberg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ UN Sunday question: Wallner feels Bitschi's breath on the back of his neck. 6 September 2024, retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ red, vorarlberg ORF at (7 September 2024). "Umfrage: Knappes Rennen zwischen ÖVP und FPÖ". vorarlberg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Wahlen in Österreich" (in German). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ Moritz Moser, vorarlberg.ORF.at (16 October 2024). "ÖVP lädt FPÖ zu Regierungsverhandlungen ein" [ÖVP invites FPÖ to government negotiations]. vorarlberg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ "Neue schwarz-blaue Landesregierung angelobt". 6 November 2024.
- ^ "Was im Regierungsprogramm steht". 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Wallner als Landeshauptmann angelobt".