Tyrolean state election, 2008
Encyclopedia
State elections was held in the Austria
n state
of Tyrol
on 8 June 2008,http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/369706/index.do?_vl_backlink=/home/politik/innenpolitik/index.do brought forward from the original date of 5 October 2008http://sora.at/de/start.asp?b=15 to "avoid collisions with a possible early parliamentary election". Apart from the Austrian People's Party
, the Social Democratic Party of Austria
, The Greens – The Green Alternative and the Freedom Party of Austria
, the president of the Tyrolean branch of the Austrian Chamber of Labour
Fritz Dinkhauser (up to now an ÖVP member) contested the election with a new party called Bürgerforum Tirol (Citizens' Forum
Tyrol), although initially considered likely to be called Für Tirol (For Tyrol), to break the hold of the conservative, farmer
-dominated Tyrolean ÖVP on the state (it had an absolute majority in the Landtag
since the Second World War);http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2962248 Fritz Gurgiser of the Transitforum Austria-Tirol will run on Dinkhauser's list. The federal ÖVP has clearly stated its support for the incumbent Landeshauptmann
Herwig van Staa
. The Alliance for the Future of Austria
planned to contest the election in a joint list with another split from the FPÖ (the Free Party for Tyrol, Freie Partei Tirol, FPT) under the name "Alliance of Free Tyroleans" (Bündnis Freier Tiroler). On 24 April 2008, it was reported that this list might fail to gather the necessary signatures to contest the election, as the BZÖ suddenly decided not to run under the list's name. The chairman of the FPT Willi Tilg stated on 2 May 2008 that the party would not contest the election, despite the fact that he claimed they had gathered the necessary signatures; Tilg called on voters to vote for the incumbent governor van Staa instead. Thanks to the unexpected support of the Greens, the Communist Party of Austria
will be able to contest the election in all of Tyrol.
In the end, the following seven lists qualified to run in the election:
A poll from 14 September 2007 gave the following results:http://portal.tirol.com/politik/innsbruck/69012/index.do
This meant that both an ÖVP/FRITZ coalition or an SPÖ/Greens/FRITZ coalition would have been possible.http://www.tirol.com/politik/innsbruck/65623/index.do
A coalition of ÖVP and FRITZ or ÖVP and SPÖ was assumed to be the likely result, but most likely not under the incumbent Landeshauptmann
Herwig van Staa
. Interior minister Günther Platter
took over, but retained the ÖVP-SPÖ coalition.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
on 8 June 2008,http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/369706/index.do?_vl_backlink=/home/politik/innenpolitik/index.do brought forward from the original date of 5 October 2008http://sora.at/de/start.asp?b=15 to "avoid collisions with a possible early parliamentary election". Apart from the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
, the Social Democratic Party of Austria
Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
, The Greens – The Green Alternative and the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
, the president of the Tyrolean branch of the Austrian Chamber of Labour
Austrian Chamber of Labour
The Chamber of Labour , is an organisation that represents the interests of 3 million Austrian employees and consumers...
Fritz Dinkhauser (up to now an ÖVP member) contested the election with a new party called Bürgerforum Tirol (Citizens' Forum
Citizens' Forum (Austria)
The Citizens' Forum Austria is an Austrian political party mainly active in Tyrol. It was founded by president of the Tyrolean branch of the Austrian Chamber of Labour Fritz Dinkhauser , who was joined by the popular anti-transit activist Fritz Gurgiser of the Transitforum Austria-Tirol...
Tyrol), although initially considered likely to be called Für Tirol (For Tyrol), to break the hold of the conservative, farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
-dominated Tyrolean ÖVP on the state (it had an absolute majority in the Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
since the Second World War);http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2962248 Fritz Gurgiser of the Transitforum Austria-Tirol will run on Dinkhauser's list. The federal ÖVP has clearly stated its support for the incumbent Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann is a former German gubernatorial title equivalent to that of a governor of a province or a state....
Herwig van Staa
Herwig van Staa
Herwig van Staa was the governor of Tyrol from 2002 to 2008.Van Staa was born in Linz, Upper Austria . His father, who came from the Rhine area, worked as a technician in the steelworks in Linz and died in a sick bay in 1943 after military action on the Eastern Front. His mother came from an...
. The Alliance for the Future of Austria
Alliance for the Future of Austria
The Alliance for the Future of Austria , abbreviated to BZÖ, is a conservative liberal political party in Austria. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council....
planned to contest the election in a joint list with another split from the FPÖ (the Free Party for Tyrol, Freie Partei Tirol, FPT) under the name "Alliance of Free Tyroleans" (Bündnis Freier Tiroler). On 24 April 2008, it was reported that this list might fail to gather the necessary signatures to contest the election, as the BZÖ suddenly decided not to run under the list's name. The chairman of the FPT Willi Tilg stated on 2 May 2008 that the party would not contest the election, despite the fact that he claimed they had gathered the necessary signatures; Tilg called on voters to vote for the incumbent governor van Staa instead. Thanks to the unexpected support of the Greens, the Communist Party of Austria
Communist Party of Austria
The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II...
will be able to contest the election in all of Tyrol.
In the end, the following seven lists qualified to run in the election:
- Austrian People's PartyAustrian People's PartyThe Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
- Social Democratic Party of AustriaSocial Democratic Party of AustriaThe Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
- The Greens – The Green Alternative
- Freedom Party of AustriaFreedom Party of AustriaThe Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
- Citizens' Forum Tyrol (FRITZ)
- Communist Party of AustriaCommunist Party of AustriaThe Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II...
- The ChristiansThe Christians (political party)The Christian Party of Austria are a minor political party in Austria, founded on 15 October 2005.It changed its name under its new chairman Rudolf Gehring in late 2009, partially due to concerns by the Catholic Church over the use of the term "Christians" to mean only the party.-History:The party...
A poll from 14 September 2007 gave the following results:http://portal.tirol.com/politik/innsbruck/69012/index.do
- ÖVP: 44%
- SPÖ: 26%
- Greens: 16%
- FRITZ: 7%
- FPÖ: 6%
- Others: 1%
This meant that both an ÖVP/FRITZ coalition or an SPÖ/Greens/FRITZ coalition would have been possible.http://www.tirol.com/politik/innsbruck/65623/index.do
Results
| Party | Votes in % | Change | Seats | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian People's Party Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology... (ÖVP) |
40.4% | -9.5% | 16 | -4 | |
| Citizens' Forum Tyrol (FRITZ) | 18.3% | +18.3% | 7 | +7 | |
| Social Democratic Party of Austria Social Democratic Party of Austria The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved... (SPÖ) |
15.6% | -10.3% | 5 | -4 | |
| Freedom Party of Austria Freedom Party of Austria The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had... (FPÖ) |
12.4% | +4.7% | 4 | +2 | |
| The Greens – The Green Alternative (Grüne) | 10.7% | -5.2% | 4 | -1 | |
| The Christians The Christians (political party) The Christian Party of Austria are a minor political party in Austria, founded on 15 October 2005.It changed its name under its new chairman Rudolf Gehring in late 2009, partially due to concerns by the Catholic Church over the use of the term "Christians" to mean only the party.-History:The party... (DC) |
1.3% | +1.3% | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Party of Austria Communist Party of Austria The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II... (KPÖ) |
1.2% | +0.5% | 0 | ±0 |
A coalition of ÖVP and FRITZ or ÖVP and SPÖ was assumed to be the likely result, but most likely not under the incumbent Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann is a former German gubernatorial title equivalent to that of a governor of a province or a state....
Herwig van Staa
Herwig van Staa
Herwig van Staa was the governor of Tyrol from 2002 to 2008.Van Staa was born in Linz, Upper Austria . His father, who came from the Rhine area, worked as a technician in the steelworks in Linz and died in a sick bay in 1943 after military action on the Eastern Front. His mother came from an...
. Interior minister Günther Platter
Günther Platter
Günther Platter is an Austrian politician and is the current Governor of Tyrol after his predecessor Herwig van Staa lost more almost 10% of the votes in the regional elections. Before becoming Governor, Platter served as Interior Minister and as Minister of Defence in the cabinets of Gusenbauer...
took over, but retained the ÖVP-SPÖ coalition.