The Association of Socialist Students Austria (VSStÖ) has secured a resounding victory in the ÖH (Austrian National Union of Students) election, achieving its highest vote share to date. With 26.5% of the votes, the VSStÖ emerged as the clear frontrunner in the election, signaling a significant shift in student preferences. This remarkable success builds upon their previous accomplishments in 2021 and demonstrates the party’s growing popularity among the student body.
At the prestigious University of Vienna, the VSStÖ performed exceptionally well, garnering 36.4% of the votes in the election of university representatives. This overwhelming support from students solidifies the party’s stronghold at the university and showcases their effective campaigning and student-focused policies.
In the federal representation, the VSStÖ will now occupy 15 out of the 55 mandates, one more than their previous tally. This increased representation in the federal government will empower the VSStÖ to advocate for student rights and drive forward their agenda of social justice and equality on a broader scale.
Securing second place with a commendable 21.1% of the votes is the ÖVP-related action group. While their result remains relatively unchanged compared to the previous election, the action group managed to surpass the Greens & Alternative Students (grass), who experienced a noticeable decline, receiving only 18.6% of the votes. This outcome suggests a shift in student support towards more centrist and conservative ideologies.
A significant triumph for the action group was observed at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where they achieved a commanding victory with an impressive 67.7% in the university representative election. This result solidifies their dominance at this institution, historically considered an action group stronghold. Furthermore, the action group saw their support rise to 38.8% at the University of Linz, indicating a widening appeal and growing influence among students.
However, the Greens & Alternative Students (grass) faced a setback in the election, experiencing a notable decline from 33.3% to 22.4% at the University of Salzburg. This drop in support suggests a need for the party to reassess its messaging and engage with students to regain their confidence.
The pink Junos also witnessed losses in the federal representative elections, receiving 9.0% of the votes compared to their previous share of 11.3%. This decline implies a diminished appeal among the student electorate. Similarly, the student council lists (FLÖ), part of the left-wing coalition of three parties, suffered a clear decline, obtaining only 8.3% of the votes.
Despite these shifts, the possibility of a continuation of the previous three-party coalition between the VSStÖ, Gras, and FLÖ remains viable. This coalition, which held a majority in the previous term, could potentially continue to collaborate on student-centric policies and initiatives.
In the battle between the communist lists, the KSV-LiLi emerged as the victor, securing 5.2% of the votes and three mandates. The KSV-KJÖ maintained their presence with 4.5% of the votes and two mandates. A surprising addition to the federal representation is the party “Who the F*ck is Herbert?,” which overcame internal turbulence and resignations to secure a seat.
Furthermore, the liberal RFS successfully defended their current mandate with 2.8% of the votes, showcasing their resilience amidst a competitive election. Notably, at the Montanuni Leoben, RFS secured a commendable third-place position with 20% of the votes.
The final result of the ÖH election was delayed due to extensive IT problems, with the outcome only