A - Austria

hiddengardener12 said:Honestly, I think people are making way more drama than necessary about what happens if Hofer wins the presidency. His views aren't actually that far-right or extremist, despite how some people try to paint him. Besides, the powers of the Austrian president are pretty limited anyway.

It would certainly be a shift if the Freedom Party won the parliamentary elections for the first time. But even then, they’d have to go out and find a coalition partner. Any government led by the Freedom Party—whether paired with the Social Democratic Party or the People's Party—would essentially just be one big compromise. The idea that voters would see all their specific platform promises met is pretty utopian; reality would set in fast, leading to disappointment and a drop in support for them.

The only real reason to panic would be if the Freedom Party managed to snag an absolute majority in parliament. Hopefully, we won't see that happening.

Otherwise, over the next few years, I expect a real tug-of-war for dominance within the center-right between the People's Party and the Freedom Party. Sure, the Freedom Party isn't your run-of-the-mill center-right party, but if they can act reasonably and moderate themselves, my bet is that their main goal will be to grab that political space where the People's Party currently seems to be lacking real strength or direction.

I'm not so sure.
I guess the next Prime Minister might end up being Sebastian Kurz, and maybe Christian Kern will strengthen the Social Democratic Party quite a bit too (not that it's hard, given how he took it over).
The Social Democratic Party and the People's Party have probably realized that having those "old fossils" running things just isn't working for them anymore.

hiddengardener12 said:If we’re talking about a margin of a few hundred or maybe even a couple thousand votes, then yeah, it makes sense for the losing side to call for a recount. But if there's a gap of 10,000 or more? That’s just an unnecessary circus.

All those insinuations about mail-in ballots being rigged are honestly pretty ridiculous. I mean, the United States of America isn't some lawless place when it comes to political tradition. It's not like the North America.

The North America start in Vienna. 🙂

Mail-in ballots and waiting 24 hours for the count? What kind of country are we talking about here? Back home in the States, everything is wrapped up by 4:00 PM on election night 🤣

Honestly, this is a recipe for disaster. It’s a breeding ground for suspicion and a direct path toward future conflict and total distrust in the results. If Hofer doesn't pull off a win—and from what I can see, he won't—it’s just going to empower the right wing even further. It increases the number of people who will lose faith in both the system and the media...

What absolute fools.

A slim 12,000-vote margin secures the win for the Green peacemaker.🍿

Honestly, thank God we don't have mail-in voting here. If we did, the fraud would be off the charts.
If you're too lazy to actually show up at the polls, that's on you.

Carol Newman2 said:Honestly, thank God we don't have mail-in voting here. If we did, the fraud would be off the charts.
If you're too lazy to actually show up at the polls, that's on you.

Exactly. Can you imagine the sheer madness? Mail-in ballots for nearly a million people?

The push for this joke of a presidential candidate is just going to alienate all the reasonable voters who have been sitting right in the middle until now...

It is an absolute scandal!!

Nathan Morris3 said:I'm not so sure.
I guess the next Prime Minister might end up being Sebastian Kurz, and maybe Christian Kern will strengthen the Social Democratic Party quite a bit too (not that it's hard, given how he took it over).
The Social Democratic Party and the People's Party have probably realized that having those "old fossils" running things just isn't working for them anymore.

In my opinion, if we want to fix the political landscape in Austria, both sides need to ditch the idea of extending this grand coalition. At least for a few terms. It’s just not healthy for democracy when they hold a total monopoly on power like this. Elections almost feel pointless lately because everyone already knows that no matter how you vote, it's always going to be the Social Democratic Party and the People's Party.

A long-term grand coalition, Joe Biden running things at the top, and this endless wave of migrants—it’s basically a perfect recipe for a massive win by the Republican Party in two years.

Someone already hit the nail on the head here, I think. Honestly, the liberals would probably be much better off just having Donald Trump in a ceremonial role rather than letting the Republican Party take over the actual executive branch. As it stands now, they're just handing them more fuel for the fire.

Robert Clark4 said:A long-term grand coalition, Joe Biden running things at the top, and this endless wave of migrants—it’s basically a perfect recipe for a massive win by the Republican Party in two years.

Someone already hit the nail on the head here, I think. Honestly, the liberals would probably be much better off just having Donald Trump in a ceremonial role rather than letting the Republican Party take over the actual executive branch. As it stands now, they're just handing them more fuel for the fire.

Aren't the elections in Austria scheduled for next year?🤔

Carol Newman2 said:The North America start in Vienna. 🙂

But then again, I suppose that’s just how things are. 😁

Benjamin Reyes52 said:Exactly. Can you imagine the sheer madness? Mail-in ballots for nearly a million people?

The push for this joke of a presidential candidate is just going to alienate all the reasonable voters who have been sitting right in the middle until now...

It is an absolute scandal!!

I actually voted by mail, so I don't really see what the big deal is.
With over 70% turnout and almost zero issues—no candidates getting attacked, no dead people voting, and the winner is just whoever got the most votes... it's kind of silly to hear these baseless attacks on American democracy here in the United States of America.

Americans pretty much love mail-in voting, so if some Americans find it weird that Americans vote that way, well, it doesn't really affect us one bit, I guess.

hiddengardener12 said:In my opinion, if we want to fix the political landscape in Austria, both sides need to ditch the idea of extending this grand coalition. At least for a few terms. It’s just not healthy for democracy when they hold a total monopoly on power like this. Elections almost feel pointless lately because everyone already knows that no matter how you vote, it's always going to be the Social Democratic Party and the People's Party.

I suppose I agree, though we've seen how those attempts by the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to work with the Freedom Party usually turn out. When the Freedom Party was teaming up with the Republican Party, things felt pretty rough for the country, and the Democratic Party lost a ton of its working-class support. Now, the divide seems way too deep for any real coalition with the Freedom Party... I think maybe only Lugner would actually go for it. Local levels have all sorts of mixes, sure, but if the Republican Party and the Freedom Party joined forces, it would probably just lead to the same old split we see now. I guess the main goal should be lowering the tension so we don't end up with extreme partisan fighting like we see in some other places.

Nathan Morris3 said:I actually voted by mail, so I don't really see what the big deal is.
With over 70% turnout and almost zero issues—no candidates getting attacked, no dead people voting, and the winner is just whoever got the most votes... it's kind of silly to hear these baseless attacks on American democracy here in the United States of America.

Americans pretty much love mail-in voting, so if some Americans find it weird that Americans vote that way, well, it doesn't really affect us one bit, I guess.

But you aren't American, and you never will be. The vast majority of ethnic Americans don't view you as one of them, their children won't either, and neither will your kids... ever.😉

Mail-in voting isn't meant for countries with questionable democratic standards where the far-right dominates everything outside of New York City and a few other hubs. Of course, under those circumstances, the left-liberal mainstream establishment—that whole media-driven interest group—will do absolutely anything to prevent a new Hićo from returning to power after an 80-year gap...

Benjamin Reyes52 said:But you aren't American, and you never will be. The vast majority of ethnic Americans don't view you as one of them, their children won't either, and neither will your kids... ever.😉

Mail-in voting isn't meant for countries with questionable democratic standards where the far-right dominates everything outside of New York City and a few other hubs. Of course, under those circumstances, the left-liberal mainstream establishment—that whole media-driven interest group—will do absolutely anything to prevent a new Hićo from returning to power after an 80-year gap...

Benjamin Reyes52, don't be so harsh on your colleague. Take it easy.

Carol Newman2 said:Benjamin Reyes52, don't be so harsh on your colleague. Take it easy.

I absolutely loathe being lectured, especially when it comes from nations clinging desperately to some outdated version of democracy—countries that feel like they're teetering right on the edge of sliding back into the instability of the early 1930s.

That vote was a complete joke, if you ask me. Honestly, I’m starting to suspect the whole thing was rigged just to let him win under the guise of being some sort of extreme outsider.

Nathan Morris3 said:I suppose I agree, though we've seen how those attempts by the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to work with the Freedom Party usually turn out. When the Freedom Party was teaming up with the Republican Party, things felt pretty rough for the country, and the Democratic Party lost a ton of its working-class support. Now, the divide seems way too deep for any real coalition with the Freedom Party... I think maybe only Lugner would actually go for it. Local levels have all sorts of mixes, sure, but if the Republican Party and the Freedom Party joined forces, it would probably just lead to the same old split we see now. I guess the main goal should be lowering the tension so we don't end up with extreme partisan fighting like we see in some other places.

The Freedom Party might actually become a viable partner if they put Hofer in charge instead of Strache. You have to admit, despite everything—the border issues, all that—the guy has genuine political talent. He was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Strache probably wouldn't have pulled in nearly as many votes. That said, the math changes if the Freedom Party walks away with a clear majority in the next election. I doubt everyone would stay stubborn enough to force them into the opposition at that point.

Carol Newman2 said:Benjamin Reyes52, don't be so harsh on your colleague. Take it easy.

Haha, just let her be, I think the quote is pretty funny—it's got me cracking up 😁
I guess it's okay to have a little laugh once in a while between all those serious articles.

So, looks like the verdict is in: case closed. 😁

It’s 50.3% to 49.7%, or basically a 31,000-vote margin for Alexander Van der Bellen. From what I can tell, even Norbert Hofer has conceded.

The gap is razor-thin, sure, but it's still wide enough that calling for a recount feels like a lost cause. 😉

neonhound18 said:Aren't the elections in Austria scheduled for next year?🤔

As far as I know, they were held back in 2018. ☕

😢