Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Major defeat for ÖVP in Lower Austria elections, nearly 109,000 asylum applications in Austria, man lived with six children in a wine cellar and more news from Austria on Monday.
- Lower Austria elections early results are in
Although the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) was able to hold on to first place in Lower Austria, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner suffered heavy losses. With 39.9 percent and 9.7 percentage points less when compared to the previous vote, the centre-right ÖVP under Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner achieved its worst election result in Lower Austria in the Second Republic.
The result of the centre-left SPÖ with its top candidate Franz Schnabl was also seen as a defeat: 20.6 percent - 3.3 percentage points less than in earlier votes.
The FPÖ's performance was quite different: the far-right party reached 24.2 percent, the best result ever for the FPÖ in Austria's largest province.
READ ALSO: Five things you need to know about the Lower Austria elections
- Which Austrian states offer free public kindergartens?
Salzburg has joined the list of states offering free public kindergarten care to children aged between three and six years old. Where else can parents expect aid with childcare in Austria?
- Lower Austria could get 'coalition of losers'
After the defeated state elections in Lower Austria, experts see a coalition of ÖVP and SPÖ as most likely, the newspaper Die Presse reported. "A coalition that the FPÖ can then portray as a 'coalition of losers,'" said political consultant Thomas Hofer late in the election.
For pollster Peter Hajek, the blame for the ÖVP Lower Austria's historically worst result is partly their own, but much also lies "outside its hemisphere."
According to Hofer, what hurts most for the ÖVP is that it missed its "secret election goal" of retaining its majority government. Neither Hofer nor Hajek believe that Johanna Mikl-Leitner's (ÖVP) seat as head of the provincial government will be cut.
However, the ÖVP will "have to share power for the first time," and probably with the SPÖ, the two experts agree.
- Nearly 109,000 asylum applications in 2022
In 2022, almost 109,000 asylum applications were submitted in Austria, specifically 108,781, according to an ORF broadcast. In 2021, there had only been 39,900 applications.
Behind Afghanistan (24,241), India is in second place (19,504) among the countries of origin in the statistics published by the Ministry of the Interior in part immediately after the Lower Austria election, followed by Syria (19,150), Tunisia (12,667), Morocco (8,471), Pakistan (7,643) and Turkey (5,132).
Except for Afghanistan and Syria, asylum seekers from these countries have little chance of obtaining protection status.
However, for most people from the two countries who applied for asylum in Austria, Austria was not the destination country anyway, as migration experts have repeatedly emphasised in the past.
This is also reflected in the number of people who left Austria before the end of the asylum procedure - there was around 41,000 last year.
READ ALSO: Tents for asylum seekers stir debate in Austria
- Man allegedly lived with children in wine cellar
A 54-year-old "Reichsbürger" (a member of a right-wing anti-constitutional movement) is said to have lived with several children in a wine cellar in Obritz, a small Lower Austrian town near the border with the Czech Republic, according to the district administration. During a check by the youth welfare office, he attacked two officers with pepper spray last week.
Residents of the small cadastral municipality of Obritz had recently complained about a man unknown to them who had been living in the local cellar alley for a few weeks. "In addition, residents have sometimes heard children's voices in the cellar, and as soon as they approached, it was silent," Deputy Mayor Erich Greil told noe.ORF.at.
The cellar was opened and searched by order of the Korneuburg public prosecutor's office. In addition to the 54-year-old, the officers also discovered his 40-year-old partner and six children aged between five years and seven months.
The children, believed to have been born in England, were neither locked up nor neglected, according to Hollabrunn district chief Karl-Josef Weiss. However, several firearms were found. No family members were registered in Austria, and the man likely only owns the cellar.
During talks with the Austrian authorities, the man had seemed "normal" and "very clever" to the deputy mayor.
According to his own statements, he comes from the Mostviertel region in Lower Austria and has lived in Germany and England for the last ten years.
The 54-year-old said that the children were not yet of school age and that he could therefore live anywhere with them, said Mayor Josef Fürnkranz (ÖVP).
- Weather
Screenshot from ZAMG
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Comments
See Also
- Lower Austria elections early results are in
Although the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) was able to hold on to first place in Lower Austria, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner suffered heavy losses. With 39.9 percent and 9.7 percentage points less when compared to the previous vote, the centre-right ÖVP under Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner achieved its worst election result in Lower Austria in the Second Republic.
The result of the centre-left SPÖ with its top candidate Franz Schnabl was also seen as a defeat: 20.6 percent - 3.3 percentage points less than in earlier votes.
The FPÖ's performance was quite different: the far-right party reached 24.2 percent, the best result ever for the FPÖ in Austria's largest province.
READ ALSO: Five things you need to know about the Lower Austria elections
- Which Austrian states offer free public kindergartens?
Salzburg has joined the list of states offering free public kindergarten care to children aged between three and six years old. Where else can parents expect aid with childcare in Austria?
- Lower Austria could get 'coalition of losers'
After the defeated state elections in Lower Austria, experts see a coalition of ÖVP and SPÖ as most likely, the newspaper Die Presse reported. "A coalition that the FPÖ can then portray as a 'coalition of losers,'" said political consultant Thomas Hofer late in the election.
For pollster Peter Hajek, the blame for the ÖVP Lower Austria's historically worst result is partly their own, but much also lies "outside its hemisphere."
According to Hofer, what hurts most for the ÖVP is that it missed its "secret election goal" of retaining its majority government. Neither Hofer nor Hajek believe that Johanna Mikl-Leitner's (ÖVP) seat as head of the provincial government will be cut.
However, the ÖVP will "have to share power for the first time," and probably with the SPÖ, the two experts agree.
- Nearly 109,000 asylum applications in 2022
In 2022, almost 109,000 asylum applications were submitted in Austria, specifically 108,781, according to an ORF broadcast. In 2021, there had only been 39,900 applications.
Behind Afghanistan (24,241), India is in second place (19,504) among the countries of origin in the statistics published by the Ministry of the Interior in part immediately after the Lower Austria election, followed by Syria (19,150), Tunisia (12,667), Morocco (8,471), Pakistan (7,643) and Turkey (5,132).
Except for Afghanistan and Syria, asylum seekers from these countries have little chance of obtaining protection status.
However, for most people from the two countries who applied for asylum in Austria, Austria was not the destination country anyway, as migration experts have repeatedly emphasised in the past.
This is also reflected in the number of people who left Austria before the end of the asylum procedure - there was around 41,000 last year.
READ ALSO: Tents for asylum seekers stir debate in Austria
- Man allegedly lived with children in wine cellar
A 54-year-old "Reichsbürger" (a member of a right-wing anti-constitutional movement) is said to have lived with several children in a wine cellar in Obritz, a small Lower Austrian town near the border with the Czech Republic, according to the district administration. During a check by the youth welfare office, he attacked two officers with pepper spray last week.
Residents of the small cadastral municipality of Obritz had recently complained about a man unknown to them who had been living in the local cellar alley for a few weeks. "In addition, residents have sometimes heard children's voices in the cellar, and as soon as they approached, it was silent," Deputy Mayor Erich Greil told noe.ORF.at.
The cellar was opened and searched by order of the Korneuburg public prosecutor's office. In addition to the 54-year-old, the officers also discovered his 40-year-old partner and six children aged between five years and seven months.
The children, believed to have been born in England, were neither locked up nor neglected, according to Hollabrunn district chief Karl-Josef Weiss. However, several firearms were found. No family members were registered in Austria, and the man likely only owns the cellar.
During talks with the Austrian authorities, the man had seemed "normal" and "very clever" to the deputy mayor.
According to his own statements, he comes from the Mostviertel region in Lower Austria and has lived in Germany and England for the last ten years.
The 54-year-old said that the children were not yet of school age and that he could therefore live anywhere with them, said Mayor Josef Fürnkranz (ÖVP).
- Weather
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.