“You’ll be amazed at what’s possible.” That was the central sentence in the Austrian presidential election campaign in 2016. It was said at the time by the right-wing FPÖ candidate, Norbert Hofer. Now a FPÖ man who is running for the post of head of state has made a name for himself with a similar statement. Walter Rosenkranz, who has been a challenger to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen since last week, sees the dismissal of the government as “one possibility” in the event of “drastic shifts”, whatever that is supposed to be in detail. That’s what he said at the weekend of the Austria Press Agency (APA).
The term of office of the Federal President, who, unlike in Germany, is directly elected by the people, lasts six years. So it’s that time again in autumn. Despite his advanced age of 78, Van der Bellen has declared his candidacy. The former leader of the Greens is supported not only by his former party, whose membership he of course has suspended, but also by the social-democratic SPÖ. The ÖVP, in Vienna as the chancellor’s party the coalition partner of the Greens, is not putting forward its own opposing candidate. Against incumbent presidents, when they stand for re-election once possible, no challenger has ever stood a chance.
Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) on July 13 in Vienna
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Image: dpa
There are a few applicants who can even be seen as joke candidates and who are traded in polls with a maximum of six percent. As the only head of a parliamentary party, Herbert Kickl sent his man into the running. Rosencrantz has a lot of weight in the FPÖ, was a member of parliament for a long time, Lower Austria’s state chairman, at times also chairman of the parliamentary group and most recently the Ombudsman, which is a kind of ombudsman.
Hofer got into the run-off election in 2016 (the election had to be repeated once and postponed again because of damaged postal ballot envelopes). In the end he was clearly defeated by the Green Van der Bellen.
Ibiza, no-confidence vote, official government
A majority was alarmed by the prospect of what an FPÖ man could do in the highest state office. In Austria, six years ago, people really became aware for the first time that the Federal President is not just a representative who occasionally delivers a more or less severe speech, but also has a wealth of opportunities, especially when things get haywire. Ironically, it was Van der Bellen who dug deep into the articles of the federal constitution, albeit in response to turbulence that was not his fault. The keywords are Ibiza, vote of no confidence, official government.
So now Rosenkranz spoke about the corona measures, which he considers “excessive”, and about the neutrality, which he considers already violated by the “economic war” against Russia. “Firing the government is a possibility,” he was quoted as saying by the APA. “Only I don’t see it as a first step and necessary. First of all, I would like to talk to the government.” As a directly elected representative of the people – according to Rosencrantz “the strength of the Federal President” – he would actually have the power to let the people make new decisions.
However, it is not foreseeable that he will get this opportunity. In polls so far, more than 60 percent are in favor of Van der Bellen, so there won’t even be a runoff. Rosencrantz came in the polls – and he had not yet made himself known with his provocations – at least 21 percent, which roughly corresponds to the poll values of the FPÖ. Any point above that would be a success for the Kickl party to portray itself as the only true opposition.