Austria's 'super-election year': What will be decided and when?
Several elections are coming up in 2024 in Austria. Here's what the votes are about, who is running and whether or not foreigners can vote.
Austrian citizens will be able to vote in many different elections in 2024, a year political commentators in the country are calling a "super election year". The highlight is the National Council elections, when a new Parliament and Chancellor will be chosen.
Wherever there are municipal elections, such as in Salzburg, European Union citizens (but not foreigners from outside the EU) are entitled to vote.
Here's what you need to know.
March 10th: Salzburg municipal elections
The 119 municipalities in the province of Salzburg elect their municipal council and - in a separate ballot - the mayors this spring. The vote, particularly in the capital, could bring novelties, with a communist possibly becoming mayor for the first time.
The KPÖ is currently polling at 15 percent, but its mayoral candidate, Kay-Michael Dankl, does much better in separate polls. The city of Salzburg should have a run-off election as the centre-right ÖVP and centre-left SPÖ are also polling high.
The party leading candidates for mayor of Salzburg are Bernhard Auinger (SPÖ), Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ), Florian Kreibich (ÖVP), Paul Dürnberger (FPÖ), Anna Schiester (Bürgerliste), Lukas Rupsch (Neos), Christoph Ferch (Salz).
EU citizens are entitled to vote at the municipal level.
READ ALSO: Can Austria's Communist Party get enough votes to enter the parliament?
April 14th: Innsbruck elections
The capital of Tyrol is electing a new municipal council and, separately, a new mayor. The centre-right ÖVP and Liste Für Innsbruck parties have agreed on a joint candidate, Florian Tursky from the ÖVP, to go against incumbent Georg Willi (Greens). Other candidates are Johannes Anzengruber (JA), Markus Lassenberger (FPÖ), Elisabeth Mayr (SPÖ), Julia Seidl (Neos), Pia Tomedi (KPÖ).
EU citizens can also vote in these elections.
June 9th: Elections to the EU parliament
This will be another election in Austria that foreigners will be allowed to vote in - again only if they are EU citizens. It will take place on June 9th, and 20 Austrian Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be elected.
EU citizens in Austria have a choice: they can elect Austrian Parliament members or vote for the MEPs from their country of citizenship.
Recent polls predict that the centre-right ÖVP should suffer significant losses, the growth of right-wing populists in EU countries can also change the parliament to the right, and far-right FPÖ in Austria is expected to make huge gains.
Some of the top candidates already announced are Andreas Schieder (SPÖ), Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ) and Helmut Brandstätter (Neos).
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How do Austrians elect their chancellor?
Sometime in autumn: National Council Election
This is the big one. The 183 members of Austria's National Council, the Lower House of its Parliament, are being elected (by Austrian citizens only) sometime in autumn.
Austrian political commentators have been trying to predict the upcoming government that could be formed as far-right FPÖ rises in the polls, to no success. Most leaders of the other parties have stated they would not form a coalition with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.
So, it's hard to tell what the Austrian government is going to look like in 2025.
Also in autumn: Vorarlberg state election
Austrian citizens residing in Vorarlberg will be able to vote for its state parliament in an election scheduled around autumn. There should be no surprises, as the state has traditionally been led by the centre-right ÖVP (recently in coalition with the Greens), which is also leading polls.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How can foreigners have their say in Austria?
In autumn: Styrian state election
Another state election taking place this year is the Styrian one, where Austrian citizens will choose who will fill the 48 seats in the regional parliament.
The centre-left SPÖ and the centre-right ÖVP will likely again form a coalition. However, the Communist KPÖ party - which rules the province capital Graz - is also rising in polls.
READ ALSO: How much power do Austria's state governments hold?
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Austrian citizens will be able to vote in many different elections in 2024, a year political commentators in the country are calling a "super election year". The highlight is the National Council elections, when a new Parliament and Chancellor will be chosen.
Wherever there are municipal elections, such as in Salzburg, European Union citizens (but not foreigners from outside the EU) are entitled to vote.
Here's what you need to know.
March 10th: Salzburg municipal elections
The 119 municipalities in the province of Salzburg elect their municipal council and - in a separate ballot - the mayors this spring. The vote, particularly in the capital, could bring novelties, with a communist possibly becoming mayor for the first time.
The KPÖ is currently polling at 15 percent, but its mayoral candidate, Kay-Michael Dankl, does much better in separate polls. The city of Salzburg should have a run-off election as the centre-right ÖVP and centre-left SPÖ are also polling high.
The party leading candidates for mayor of Salzburg are Bernhard Auinger (SPÖ), Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ), Florian Kreibich (ÖVP), Paul Dürnberger (FPÖ), Anna Schiester (Bürgerliste), Lukas Rupsch (Neos), Christoph Ferch (Salz).
EU citizens are entitled to vote at the municipal level.
READ ALSO: Can Austria's Communist Party get enough votes to enter the parliament?
April 14th: Innsbruck elections
The capital of Tyrol is electing a new municipal council and, separately, a new mayor. The centre-right ÖVP and Liste Für Innsbruck parties have agreed on a joint candidate, Florian Tursky from the ÖVP, to go against incumbent Georg Willi (Greens). Other candidates are Johannes Anzengruber (JA), Markus Lassenberger (FPÖ), Elisabeth Mayr (SPÖ), Julia Seidl (Neos), Pia Tomedi (KPÖ).
EU citizens can also vote in these elections.
June 9th: Elections to the EU parliament
This will be another election in Austria that foreigners will be allowed to vote in - again only if they are EU citizens. It will take place on June 9th, and 20 Austrian Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be elected.
EU citizens in Austria have a choice: they can elect Austrian Parliament members or vote for the MEPs from their country of citizenship.
Recent polls predict that the centre-right ÖVP should suffer significant losses, the growth of right-wing populists in EU countries can also change the parliament to the right, and far-right FPÖ in Austria is expected to make huge gains.
Some of the top candidates already announced are Andreas Schieder (SPÖ), Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ) and Helmut Brandstätter (Neos).
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How do Austrians elect their chancellor?
Sometime in autumn: National Council Election
This is the big one. The 183 members of Austria's National Council, the Lower House of its Parliament, are being elected (by Austrian citizens only) sometime in autumn.
Austrian political commentators have been trying to predict the upcoming government that could be formed as far-right FPÖ rises in the polls, to no success. Most leaders of the other parties have stated they would not form a coalition with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.
So, it's hard to tell what the Austrian government is going to look like in 2025.
Also in autumn: Vorarlberg state election
Austrian citizens residing in Vorarlberg will be able to vote for its state parliament in an election scheduled around autumn. There should be no surprises, as the state has traditionally been led by the centre-right ÖVP (recently in coalition with the Greens), which is also leading polls.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How can foreigners have their say in Austria?
In autumn: Styrian state election
Another state election taking place this year is the Styrian one, where Austrian citizens will choose who will fill the 48 seats in the regional parliament.
The centre-left SPÖ and the centre-right ÖVP will likely again form a coalition. However, the Communist KPÖ party - which rules the province capital Graz - is also rising in polls.
READ ALSO: How much power do Austria's state governments hold?
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