The electoral commission of the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) is preparing to oversee the member survey for party leaders and top candidates for the next National Council election. The commission will determine which of the 73 applicants can collect the required 30 declarations of support and run for office. The survey will be conducted from April 24th to May 10th, and around 147,000 members are expected to answer it. After the votes are counted, the red election campaign will officially begin.
In the midst of a mistrust-ridden conflict, the election campaign will also need to clarify who will count the votes. Party leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner is the incumbent who stands above the three-way battle, while two well-known challengers, Burgenland’s governor Hans Peter Doskozil and Traiskirchner’s mayor Andreas Babler, are trying to gain the party base’s affection more aggressively. Babler will begin his “base tour” on Tuesday, and Doskozil will start a “friendship tour” this week.
The election campaign is focused on the presidency this week in the SPÖ. The electoral commission will meet for the first time on Tuesday to formally determine which applicants can run for office. The member survey is intended to determine party leaders and top candidates for the next National Council election.
The SPÖ is one of Austria’s two main parties, and the current government is a coalition between the other main party, the conservative ÖVP, and the Greens. The National Council is the lower house of the Austrian parliament, and elections will be held in September 2023.
The two well-known challengers, Doskozil and Babler, are attempting to gain the party base’s support in a three-way battle with Rendi-Wagner. The campaign is being held amid a mistrust-ridden conflict, and the election campaign will need to clarify who will count the votes.
The electoral commission will determine which of the 73 applicants can run for office, and the survey will be conducted from April 24th to May 10th. The election campaign is expected to be closely contested.