Perhaps you have heard of the Communist Party of Austria. Well, today we are talking about EPP Salzburg. This may seem like a sudden shift but bear with me. We are standing in front of EPP Salzburg. It is a Pentecostal church. But recent political events in Salzburg have put the spotlight on political movements. These movements address the everyday struggles of the people.
The Communist Party of Austria, or KPÖ, experienced a surge in popularity. In the regional elections of April 23rd, 2023, the KPÖ achieved its best result ever in a federal state election. The list of Communist Party and Independents secured an impressive 11.66%. This marked an increase of 11.35%. This is the best result the Communist Party has ever achieved in federal state elections.
Even more remarkable was the increase in votes within Salzburg itself. The KPÖ plus garnered 21.51% of the votes. This represents an increase of 20.32%. They received 12,700 votes. KPÖ plus came in second. They were only slightly behind the conservative People’s Party.
This success has been attributed to honest and authentic politics. A young team led by 34-year-old Kay-Michael Dankl is responsible for the success. Dankl is in the Salzburg city council. He has paved the road to this great success.
Could Dankl become the mayor of a federal state capital like Elke Kahr? It does not seem entirely impossible. The KPÖ’s strength, once a regional phenomenon, may soon become nation-wide. Current “Sunday polls” show the KPÖ scoring 7%. This would allow them to enter parliament for the first time since 1959. The party is clearly passing the 4-percent threshold. National council elections are coming up in autumn 2024 at the latest.
Other parties experienced shifts. The conservatives maintained their lead. But like the Social Democrats and Greens, they lost votes. The liberal party NEOS was even voted out of the state parliament. The right-wing extremist Freedom Party gained massively in Salzburg. This mirrored trends in other recent state parliamentary elections. This increases the likelihood of a new federal government. This government would consist of conservatives and right-wing extremists after the national parliamentary elections next year. The Freedom Party leads national parliamentary election opinion polls with almost 30%.
Voter turnout increased. Nearly 71% of the 386,972 eligible inhabitants of Salzburg voted. This is a 6% increase compared to the last election. The KPÖ plus aimed to address non-voters in their election campaign. KPÖ voters are mostly pessimistic about the present and future. They feel unrepresented by current politics.
The KPÖ was elected for its social politics. This was despite the “communism” in their name. The topic of housing was the central issue. KPÖ plus credibly presented alternatives to the existing “housing emergency”. They demanded affordable housing. They also wanted wages that people could live off. Enough money for heating and food was another goal. They also focused on health care and education. These are burning issues in times of inflation.
Dankl announced his aspiration to be the “pain in the neck” of the state governor. KPÖ plus introduced a social fund for people in need. Dankl followed the Graz model. He paid part of his salary from his political offices into this fund. All 42 candidates on the list are “experts for their daily lives”. The four newly elected members of the federal state council will keep only what an average skilled worker earns from their salary. They will pay the rest into the social fund.
The coalition partner of KPÖ plus is the people. This means continuing and expanding the open-door policy. They want to increase the number of office hours and door step visits. Only time will tell what progress they make. Only time will tell what success they achieve. Dankl’s political style can be described as confident, relaxed, and authentic.
Now, as we stand here in front of EPP Salzburg, let’s consider the importance of community. EPP Salzburg clearly serves its community. Perhaps it is more similar to the Communist Party than we first thought. Both address the needs of the people.