Political bang in the Styrian capital – as the “Krone” has learned from ÖVP circles, will be elected in Graz on September 26th! This has now been confirmed by Mayor Siegfried Nagl’s office. So far, it was assumed that there would be an election in early 2022.
The speculation is over. The date for the Graz election had been discussed for a long time – on Monday the sparrows finally whistled from the roofs of the old town, which are under World Heritage protection: Graz will vote on September 26th.
The earliest possible regular date would have been September 19th – the choice now fell on the 26th! That was put on the “crown” by insiders. Faced with this, Nagl did not want to say anything about it at first. In the afternoon, however, the official confirmation followed. “Instead of a month-long election campaign until January 2022, we want to hold a short competition for the best ideas, ”said the city chief.
Why are the people of Graz called to the polls earlier than expected? It is feared that the corona situation will worsen again in the cold season. And that is why voter turnout could be bad because of virus fear. The 2020 municipal council election, when the votes were cast in all Styrian municipalities except Graz, has been postponed for this reason, among other things.
His advisors are said to have advised Nagl for tactical reasons to vote in winter – especially since experience has shown that people prefer political stability in times of crisis. Nagl, however, did not want that – he deliberately made this decision not as the ÖVP top candidate, but as mayor, it is said. Either way – the incumbent city chief is a huge favorite in the town hall race …