Austrian legislative election, 2008
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A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria will be held on 28 September 2008.[1] The last election was held on 1 October 2006. The election (the 24th in Austrian history) was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition (led by the Social Democratic Party of Austria) on 7 July 2008.[2] Due to dissatisfaction with the grand coalition and the two main parties, it is widely expected to be a realigning election, with up to seven parties expected to be in the National Council after the election.[3][4][5][6]

The election set a record for the largest amount of parties contesting the election nationally, with ten parties:[7]

In addition, four lists contested the election in some states (the total of fourteen lists contesting the election in at least one state also constituted a record):[8][9]

The previous records had been achieved in the 1994 election, when eight parties contested the election nationally (SPÖ, ÖVP, FPÖ, Greens, LIF, KPÖ, No to NATO and EU and the United Greens of Austria) and thirteen in at least one state (the eight mentioned before plus the Christian Electoral Community, the Austrian Natural Law Party, the Civic Greens of Austria, The Best Party and the list Fritz Georg).[10][11]

Contents

Background

Leading candidates

Werner Faymann (SPÖ)

Wilhelm Molterer (ÖVP)

Alexander Van der Bellen (Greens)

Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ)

Jörg Haider (BZÖ)

Heide Schmidt (LIF)

Fritz Dinkhauser (FRITZ)

Mirko Messner and Melina Klaus (KPÖ)

Wilfried Auerbach (RETTÖ)

Alfons Adam (DC)

Sonja Grusch (LINKE)

On 11 January 2007, the Gusenbauer cabinet (a grand coalition of SPÖ and ÖVP) was sworn into office. The newly formed government was criticised from the beginning from parts of the opposition and left-wing circles in the SPÖ for having failed to push through in the coalition negotiations most of the pledges and promises made in the election campaign.

The SPÖ began to fall back in the polls almost immediately. The government was frequently unable to agree on important decisions: The SPÖ demanded an antedated tax reform in 2009 instead of in 2010, which the ÖVP disagreed on;[12] the proposal to help households hit by inflation with a tax gift of €100 was also denied by the ÖVP.[13] The coalition partners also disagreed on the badly necessary health system reform.[14] In the Tyrolean state election on 8 June 2008 the former ÖVP member Fritz Dinkhauser led his newly founded Citizens' Forum Tyrol to become the second-largest party, causing large losses to ÖVP and SPÖ and small losses to the Greens. Following this, internal criticism within the SPÖ of Gusenbauer grew, leading to the decision to designate infrastructure minister Werner Faymann as its new party leader. According to the plans at that time, Gusenbauer would have remained the leading candidate in the 2010 elections.[15]

On 26 June 2008, Faymann and Gusenbauer wrote a letter to the editor of the leading Austrian tabloid Kronen Zeitung, declaring they were in favour of referendums on important EU topics, like new treaties after the already ratified Treaty of Lisbon or the accession of Turkey to the European Union. They did this without seeking the approval of either the party leadership or their coalition partner ÖVP; it was widely perceived by Austrian and foreign media as a populist action and submission to the anti-European Kronen Zeitung, which had been conducting anti-EU campaigns for years.[16] On 7 July 2008, ÖVP leader Wilhelm Molterer declared that he could not continue to work with the SPÖ (the precise words with which he opened the news conference were "That's enough!", Es reicht!). The ÖVP declared as the main reasons for the snap elections the change in the SPÖ's position on Europe and the planned dual leadership in the SPÖ, which the ÖVP claimed would make agreement on difficult issues even harder.

The snap election was officially called in a parliamentary session on 9 July 2008 through a joint resolution by SPÖ, ÖVP and Greens, which FPÖ and BZÖ supported;[17] the election date of 28 September 2008 was confirmed by the government and the main committee on 10 July 2008.[18] The term of the legislature was the third-shortest in Austrian history (after 1970–1971 and 1994–1995). SPÖ and ÖVP agreed to a so-called Stillhalteabkommen, an agreement according to which neither of the two parties would try to outvote the other with the votes of the opposition parties, although this agreement was revoked by Faymann on 25 August 2008.[19]

The age required to have the right to vote had been reduced from 18 to 16 prior to the election in an electoral law reform, which also had introduced easier access to postal balloting and lengthened the legislative term from four to five years.[20] Another change was that different list names in the different states were no longer possible; the BZÖ had stood under a different name in Carinthia than in the rest of Austria in 2006.[21] Turnout was expected to increase from the all-time low of 78.5% in 2006; more than 80% were expected to participate in the election.[22] Postal balloting was expected to make up 7%–8% of the total vote.[23]

The Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung stated that Dinkhauser had "with hindsight been the first link in a chain of causation which led to the early elections, even though he had only wanted to force open the incrusted political landscape in Tyrol". (Rückblickend wurde damit der Tiroler Dinkhauser, der mit seiner «Liste Fritz» eigentlich nur die verkrusteten Verhältnisse in Tirol aufsprengen wollte, zum ersten Glied jener Kausalkette, die zu der Ankündigung vorgezogener Neuwahlen geführt hat.)[24]

Parties

Parliamentary parties

Social Democratic Party of Austria

The Social Democratic Party of Austria will be lead by infrastructure minister Werner Faymann and not by the incumbent chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, as the party decided to have a single person as party leader and leading candidate again.[25] Faymann officially became party leader on 8 August 2008.[26] The SPÖ has announced it will not form a coalition with the FPÖ.[27] On 20 July 2008, Faymann announced he would prefer it if Molterer would not be part of the next government, but also stated he was open to a new attempt at a grand coalition with new personalities;[28] on 23 August 2008 he specifically mentioned agriculture minister Josef Pröll as his preferred partner.[29] Some members of the Carinthian SPÖ, most notably mayor of Villach Helmut Manzenreiter, are open to an SPÖ-FPÖ coalition, but the party base is strongly against this idea.[30]

President Heinz Fischer (also from the SPÖ) said that he understood the need for early elections and stated that he would be open to three-party governments and minority governments (both of which would be a first in Austrian political history, but will likely be necessary to avoid another grand coalition).[31]

In its election program, the SPÖ repeated its calls for abolishing university tuition fees and introducing a comprehensive school (Gesamtschule) for teenagers aged 10 to 14 instead of the early differentiation between Hauptschule and Gymnasium; it also called for providing all-day child care across the country, relief for lower and middle incomes and an additional increase of pensions to keep up with inflation.[32]

SPÖ MP and university spokesman Josef Broukal announced his withdrawal from politics shortly after the election had been called over the second failed attempt to abolish university tuition fees. On 22 July 2008 SPÖ state secretary for infrastructure Christa Kranzl announced she would not stand in the election due to personal differences between her and Faymann and problems with support from her local party.[33] An internet initiative called for her to remain in politics, and she stated on 21 August 2008 that she might reconsider her move if asked by Faymann to continue her work in government;[34] on 4 September 2008 she announced that she had now changed her mind and would like to be part of the next government.[35] Rudolf Parnigoni, Robert Rada, Anita Fleckl and Peter Marizzi, all SPÖ MPs, will also retire.[36][37] Carinthian SPÖ chairwoman and state councillor Gaby Schaunig resigned from all of her offices, accusing governor Jörg Haider from the BZÖ of mobbing and insulting her;[38] Reinhart Rohr officially replaced her on 23 August 2008.[39] Long-time SPÖ MP Erwin Niederwieser announced on 29 July 2008 that he would retire.[40] Justice minister Maria Berger announced on 4 August 2008 in an interview with Kurier that she would like to remain in office after the election; while she said it would be easier to push through some reforms in a coalition other than the grand coalition, she was not against continuing the coalition, and even stated that she disagreed with the Greens on introducing same-sex marriage.[41] Defence minister Norbert Darabos announced on 5 August 2008 that he would like to stay in office and warned against a revival of the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition.[42]

Social minister Erwin Buchinger announced on 30 July 2008 that he would not stand for parliament; while he claimed that it would be up to Faymann whether Buchinger would stay on as social minister, it was expected that Faymann would choose someone from the Austrian Trade Union Federation as social minister, due to tradition and the need for reconciliation with the unions.[43][44] While Buchinger stated on 2 August 2008 he was not tired of politics and was not at all ruling out staying on as social minister,[45] president of the National Council Barbara Prammer (also SPÖ) said that possible successors for Buchinger as social minister would be Renate Csörgits, chairwoman of the social issues committee in the National Council, and family issues spokeswoman Andrea Kuntzl.[46] On 3 August 2008, ÖVP social issues spokesman Werner Amon laid claim to the social ministry after the election, declaring that this would be an issue in coalition talks after the election; the SPÖ immediately denounced this claim.[47] The Faction of Social Democratic Unionists (Fraktion Sozialdemokratischer Gewerkschafter), the SPÖ's union wing, also laid claims to the social ministry,[48] although some union leaders stated that the incumbent Buchinger would also count as being from the unions, as his position and actitivites within the Public Employment Service Austria (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich) were proof enough of his unionist mindset.[49]

A number of important high-ranking former SPÖ officials and SPÖ supporters wrote an open letter to the SPÖ, which was published on 5 August 2008, in which they criticised the current course the SPÖ was taking under Faymann's leadership;[50][51] Faymann rejected their criticism the following day.[52]

Austrian People's Party

The Austrian People's Party will go into the election with vice chancellor Wilhelm Molterer as its leader.[53] The ÖVP has stated it will try to form a three-party coalition before attempting another grand coalition, though some internal voices have dissented from that;[54] the ÖVP has also not explicitly ruled out a coalition with FPÖ or BZÖ, but has stated that its coalition partners would have to be clearly supportive of the EU,[55] thus strongly indicating a preference for a coalition with the Greens. Former ÖVP leader and former chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel stated on 1 August 2008 that he was against a coalition involving Faymann's SPÖ, but also claimed that there would be a "change of thinking" (Umdenken) in the SPÖ after the election. President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl, well-known for his preference of the grand coalition, refused to state his preferences before the election.[56] Some (especially ÖVP members in Vorarlberg) voiced their preference for another ÖVP-FPÖ coalition.[57] Molterer stated on 5 August 2008 that he had nothing against three-party coalitions and would also consider a minority government.[58]

Molterer was considered to be under strong internal pressure at the beginning of the election campaign; the party leaders from Lower Austria (Erwin Pröll), Upper Austria (Josef Pühringer) and Styria (Hermann Schützenhöfer) have all criticised his leadership at some point,[59] though they later stated they had set their differences aside.[60] In late August 2008, rumours surfaced according to which Molterer was planned to be replaced by agriculture minister Josef Pröll if the ÖVP lost the election,[61] or even before the election if the polls continued to show a likely defeat for the ÖVP.[62] The ÖVP (including Pröll himself) strongly denied these allegations.[63]

ÖVP vice federal chairwoman, vice state chairwoman for Tyrol and former state councillor Elisabeth Zanon resigned all her party offices and even publicly considered renouncing her party membership after she was not confirmed as a Tyrolean state councillor in the new cabinet of former interior minister and new governor Günther Platter after the 2008 election in Tyrol, stating that the new political style was unacceptable to her.[64] ÖVP MP and former state secretary for infrastructure Helmut Kukacka announced on 23 July 2008 that he would also stand down from politics and go into business instead.[65] Carinthian ÖVP MP Klaus Auer also retired, stating his dislike for the current kind of politics in Carinthia (referring especially to Haider's populist actions).[66] MPs Karl Freund, Walter Murauer and Edeltraud Lentsch will also retire.[37] Health minister Andrea Kdolsky said she would like to stay on as minister and initially claimed that it had not yet been decided whether she would stand as a candidate on the ÖVP's lists,[67] but later announced she would not stand on the party's lists.[68] On 20 August 2008, it became apparent that Kdolsky would not serve any political function after the election,[69] reportedly because of internal dissent over her popularity; she had reportedly been strongly lobbied by many party members to withdraw from politics.[70] Economy minister Martin Bartenstein announced he would not be willing to stay as minister in a government led by Faymann, voicing preferences for an ÖVP-FPÖ-BZÖ coalition instead.[71] When Faymann stated that he would lay claim to the foreign ministry for the SPÖ after the election in coalition negotiations, Schüssel strongly rebuked him on 5 September 2008, criticising the SPÖ's party line on the EU and on foreign affairs in general.[72]

The only new point in the ÖVP's election program, presented on 31 August 2008, was the call for a income-contingent child benefit;[73] the SPÖ, the Greens and the LIF were strongly in favour of the new proposal, while the FPÖ and the BZÖ were sceptical. Despite the support for the idea, it was considered unlikely that the proposed changes would be passed into law in the parliamentary sessions in September (see below).[74]

The Greens – The Green Alternative

The Greens – The Green Alternative are lead by long-time chairman Alexander Van der Bellen. They have stated that they're in favour of the snap election, as no work could be done in the current government; their main goal is to be strong enough to be a viable coalition partner for either of the two main parties.[75] The Greens have ruled out a coalition with the FPÖ and appear highly critical of a coalition including the BZÖ and, to a lesser degree, the Citizens' Forum Austria and the ÖVP.[76] Green politicians have stated that the ÖVP would have to change in order for a black-green coalition to be a possibility from their side, especially regarding the abuse of power, the distribution of important offices to people closely related to the ÖVP, the illegal distribution of confidential data and other issues.[77][78][79] In general, green politicians have stated that they are very much interested in a black-green "experiment"; a red-green coalition is seen as more likely due to less differences on important issues between the two parties, but the SPÖ's new position on the EU may prove to be a problem. The Greens have also stated they would like to cooperate with the LIF and that they do not rule out a coalition with Dinkhauser.[80] After the ÖVP had started its election campaign, Van der Bellen criticised the xenophobic content of one of the election posters and declared it highly unlikely that a ÖVP-Greens coalition would be possible.[81]

Green MPs Sabine Mandak and Theresia Haidlmayr (the Greens' handicapped spokeswoman) had announced they would not stand in the election; Haidlmayr stated she had not chance to be selected by her party and that the Greens had now got different priorities than handicapped persons' rights and that they wanted fresh and younger faces on their candidate lists.[82] She did not rule out being interested in becoming state secretary for handicapped people, but stated she would not seek the office at all costs.[83] Chief secretary Michaela Sburny stated that she regretted Haidlmayr's decision, but denied claims that Haidlmayr had been denied a safe seat, as all candidate lists are decided by the whole membership of the Greens, thus rendering the granting or denying of a safe seat impossible.[84] Another Green MP stated that there were no seats explicitly reserved for immigrants or handicapped people.[85] MP and women and human rights spokeswoman Brigid Weinzinger was deselected by the Lower Austrian Greens,[86] and youth issues spokeswoman Barbara Zwerschitz was also deselected.[37]

Animal rights activists Martin Balluch, chairman of the Society against Animal Factories (Verein gegen Tierfabriken), and Sabine Koch of the Basis Group Animal Rights (Basisgruppe Tierrechte), who were remanded in custody on grounds of "founding a criminal organisation" together with eight other animal rights activists on 21 May 2008 after a razzia in the animal activist scene,[87] which the Greens consider to be untenable (as the law under which they are held was meant to help combat mafia crime), stood on the Greens' candidate lists (Koch in Vienna, Balluch on the national list),[88] although in places where they were not expected to gain a seat.[89] The Greens were accused of supporting criminals with this decision (especially by the ÖVP and the BZÖ), but they argued that this was a question of principles and that the animal rights activists were not guilty of any crime.[90] On 13 August 2008, one of the ten activists was released,[91] and on 2 September 2008, the nine others were released from custody. The body of public prosecutors (Oberstaatsanwaltschaft, OStA) had decided that the reason for the detention, danger of suppression of evidence, was no longer valid; while the OStA claimed that danger of committing an offence was still given, they had to be released because of a possible disparity of means in the length of their detention should they be found to be innocent.[92] The Greens welcomed their release, while the BZÖ accused the Greens and the SPÖ of having made a deal linking the release of the animal rights activists to the Greens' votes in favour of Faymann's measures against the rising prices.[93] While Balluch had stated he would not rule out conducting a preference vote campaign in order to gain a seat in the National Council, this was not possible as preference votes can only be given on the regional and state level.[94]

The Greens determine all of their candidate lists through voting of party members at party conventions; the federal convention on 7 September 2008 had to decide on who was placed in the first positions on the national list and would therefore enter parliament. Party leader Van der Bellen and vice-leader Eva Glawischnig were set to be placed in positions one and two, and chief secretary Sburny was unlikely to face competition for fifth place; two immigrant women (Alev Korun from Turkey and Beatrice Achaleke from Cameroon) vied for third place, and three long-time party members (security spokesman Peter Pilz, social issues spokesman Karl Öllinger and budget spokesman Bruno Rossmann) vied for places four and six.[95] Pilz, a long-time MP and former party leader, threatened to withdraw from politics if he was not selected on the fourth place of the national candidate list; Öllinger was also on the Viennese list, but Pilz and Rossmann could only remain MPs if they were selected for safe positions on the national list.[89]

The Greens presented their new website on 25 August 2008.[96]

Freedom Party of Austria

The Freedom Party of Austria is lead by Heinz-Christian Strache, who has criticised the snap elections and demanded the coalition partners should bear the administrative costs of the early elections.[97] The FPÖ has not explicitly ruled out a coalition with anyone, although it claimed the ÖVP was trying to "murder" it and the SPÖ was watching from the sidelines. Strache has however stated that he does not want to work together with either Molterer or Faymann and that he hoped both large parties would lose enough votes to cause a change of party leadership.[98] When other parties (ÖVP and Greens) announced plans to present lateral hires (Quereinsteiger) on their candidate lists, the FPÖ stated that it is against lateral hires out of principle.[99] The FPÖ has stated its goals are to become the third-largest party again and to become strong enough to break the two-thirds majority which SPÖ and ÖVP have held together since 1945.[100] Secretary-general Vilismky claimed that parties which wished to enter into a coalition with the FPÖ after the election could not rule out do so before the election.[101] Strache stated on 28 August 2008 he did not want to be part of an unstable three-party coalition and wanted to gain more than 15% of the votes.[102] Analysts speculated that his refusal to be part of a three-party coalition was an attempt to destabilise the Austrian political system.[103]

FPÖ MP Karlheinz Klement, who had been in the national media because of his repeated attacks on gender mainstreaming (which he called "gender madness", Gender-Wahnsinn) and homosexuality (which he referred to as "a culture of death", eine Kultur des Todes), was first put in a back-row place in the Carinthian candidate lists of the FPÖ and was later expelled on 31 July 2008 for "behaviour which could damage the party" (parteischädigendes Verhalten). Klement had twice been expelled from the FPÖ before 2008.[104] Klement stated on 1 August 2008 that there were two factions in the Carinthian FPÖ: those who agreed with the federal FPÖ led by Strache and those who wanted to seek reunification with the BZÖ (with a minority reportedly in favour of cooperation with Dinkhauser). Klement did not rule out joining the BZÖ with his supporters.[105] A split of the Carinthian FPÖ was not ruled out.[106] Klement said he would take his expulsion to the courts and claimed he would bring the end of Strache and the secretary-generals Vilimsky and Herbert Kickl.[107] The FPÖ stated it was not afraid of Klement's threats, while the BZÖ said it was open to any people from the FPÖ who wished to join them.[108] Klement submitted his own state candidate list (with Klement himself as leading candidate) to the state election agency (Landeswahlbehörde) with the signatures of Klement, BZÖ MP Sigisbert Dolinschek and independent and former FPÖ MP Ewald Stadler; Carinthian FPÖ leader Franz Schwager stated that he would submit his own list (with Harald Jannach as its leading candidate), and thus the state election agency will have to decide on 28 August 2008 which of the two candidate lists is the legitimate FPÖ list, unless Schwager and Klement arrive at an agreement before that; the other list will have then be considered as a separate list with a new name.[109][110][111][112] Klement later announced he wanted to expel Strache and MEP Andreas Mölzer from the FPÖ for the same reason for which he was expelled; he stated he would certainly contest the election, with his own list if necessary, and wanted to reunify the FPÖ, the BZÖ and his group within the next two or three years.[113] Klement and Stadler (see below) were officially expelled from the FPÖ's parliamentary group on 20 August 2008.[114] The "official" FPÖ list in Carinthia was submitted on 22 August 2008; Schwager was confident that his list would be accepted as the FPÖ list in Carinthia, as all 26 candidates on the list were also on the FPÖ's federal candidate list, and stated as his goals to surpass the Greens and gain more than 10% of the votes.[115] Klement announced on 25 August 2008 he had offered as a compromise to contest the election as the "List FREE" (Liste FREI) instead, with the full name "DI Karlheinz Klement – Non-party Freedom-minded List" (DI Karlheinz Klement – Parteilose, freiheitliche Liste), and the state election agency initially indicated it saw no problems with this proposal.[116] However, on 28 August 2008 the state election agency unanimously decided to reject his request and to have him contest the election as "Dipl.-Ing. Karlheinz Klement" instead.[117] Klement stated he was considering challenging the validity of the decision at the Constitutional Court and even challenging the election result.[118]

Alliance for the Future of Austria

The Alliance for the Future of Austria was initially assumed to be lead by Peter Westenthaler,[119] but it was later announced that he would not be the leading candidate.[120] Westenthaler's position was endangered as he was before the courts both for false testimony in a case dating back to 2006 and for personal injury of a policeman after a UEFA Euro 2008 match, where he hit a policeman with his car slightly injuring the policeman's knee. Westenthaler disdained all these investigations and claimed they were smear campaigns by SPÖ, ÖVP and/or FPÖ; he stated that it was his choice whether he would lead the BZÖ or whether somebody else would do it, and that the decision would be made by the end of July.[121] A judgment on the issue of false testimony was handed down on 29 July 2008; Westenthaler faced up to three years' prison, but received a suspended sentence of nine months, which he appealed immediately. On the same day, it was announced that Westenthaler would not be the BZÖ's leading candidate.[122][123] He would, however, be on the lists on a safe place and thus likely would remain an MP;[124] he also announced he would remain party leader, although this was later contradicted.[125] The BZÖ's reaction to the judgment (it claimed the judgment was politically motivated) was heavily criticised by the media, especially as the BZÖ's party program has a strong law and order character.[126] Westenthaler's claims that he would also be the leading candidate in Vienna were criticised by one of the two factions in the Viennese BZÖ, who threatened to refuse to campaign for the BZÖ in case Westenthaler would be the Viennese leading candidate.[127] The Viennese BZÖ split into two factions, both of which claim to be the legitimate state boards; one of them (led by Viennese BZÖ leader Michael Tscharnutter) wanted to nominate Westenthaler as Viennese leading candidate, if he wants to, while the other one (led by former Viennese BZÖ leader Günther Barnet) nominated former defence minister Herbert Scheibner and voted Tscharnutter out of office.[128] An internal tribunal had decided on 2 June 2008 that Tscharnutter's faction was illegitimate;[129] Barnet's faction was reported to have given in on 19 August 2008 in order to avoid weakening the party's stand in Vienna; Barnet denied these allegations on the same day.[130] Westenthaler stated he needed a few days' respite before deciding whether to accept the position as leading candidate in Vienna; Scheibner would then be in second place on the Viennese lists.[131][132] On 22 August 2008, it was announced that Scheibner would be the leading candidate in Vienna; Westenthaler stated he would decide by 8 September 2008 whether he would run on the national list or not.[133]

Reportedly, former vice-chancellor Susanne Riess-Passer was being lobbied to enter politics again.[134] Riess-Passer clearly stated she was not interested in any way.[135] Rumours that Carinthian governor Jörg Haider himself might be the leading candidate were initially denied.[136] Deputy leader Stefan Petzner stated on 28 July 2008 that the leading candidate would be a "small sensation" and that his identity would be announced by mid-August.[137] There were rumours that the leading candidate might be independent MP Ewald Stadler, who left the FPÖ and was formerly Volksanwalt.[138] On 30 July 2008 Petzner stated he could "neither confirm nor deny" reports that Haider would be the leading candidate, but that Haider would certainly be more active in federal politics in the future.[139] On 1 August 2008, FPÖ secretary-general Harald Vilismky strongly attacked Stadler.[140]

It appeared on 2 August 2008 that Stadler's possible candicacy had possibly been a rumour deliberately circulated by the BZÖ[141] in order to make it more of a surprise that Haider would be the leading candidate.[142] Haider stated he would not be against becoming party leader, but emphasised that he would remain governor of Carinthia and would not become an MP, while not ruling out becoming the leading candidate, though he insisted that if so, he would become the BZÖ's "chancellor candidate";[143] Westenthaler at the same time stated Haider would become party leader and leading candidate, and claimed that 15% of the votes were possible with Haider as leading candidate.[144] On 2 August 2008, Westenthaler stated he was considering a complete withdrawal from politics after handing over to his successor.[145] Both Haider and Westenthaler said on the same day that they had talked with Stadler; Haider said it was up to Westenthaler to decide whether Stadler would be leading candidate or not, but that relations between him and Stadler had now bettered again, while Westenthaler stated that Stadler might be a candidate for the BZÖ but would not be leading candidate.[146] In an interview Haider gave to Österreich on 3 August 2008, he confirmed he would be the leading candidate.[147] The party would stand under the name "BZÖ – Jörg Haider's List" (BZÖ – Liste Jörg Haider), and Haider explicitly repeated that he would only be a chancellor candidate and that the second politician on the federal candidate list would become chief of the parliamentary club in the National Council, not him, and reopened speculation that Stadler might be the second leading candidate of the BZÖ.[148] Petzner confirmed on the same date that Haider would officially become BZÖ leader and leading candidate on 30 August 2008;[149] on that date, Haider was elected with 100% of the votes as the new BZÖ leader.[150] In an interview with Österreich, Stadler stated on 5 August 2008 he would very much like to work together with Haider and stand on his lists, in an attempt to win over FPÖ voters and officials.[151][152] Haider was officially announced to be the BZÖ's leading candidate on 14 August 2008.[153] Stadler was confirmed to be running for the BZÖ (while officially remaining independent) on 16 August 2008.[154]

The BZÖ was reportedly trying to convince a number of former ministers and state secretaries to return to politics, among them Elisabeth Sickl, Herbert Haupt and Ursula Haubner (all former social ministers). Former president of the Court of Auditors Franz Fiedler had also been contacted;[155][156] while he did not stand on the BZÖ's lists, Haider claimed that Fiedler would be available as a minister.[157] Former FPÖ member Ernest Windholz made a comeback as the BZÖ's leading candidate in Lower Austria.[133] Former FPÖ Bundesgeschäftsführerin Martina Schenk joined the BZÖ (she claimed she was being treated unfairly in the FPÖ) and was officially presented as one of its candidates on 25 August 2008,[158] and there were rumours that construction industry entrepeneur Richard Lugner (who had previously unsuccessfully contested the 1998 presidential and 1999 legislative elections with his party The Independents) might appear as a BZÖ candidate in Vienna,[159] although this turned out to be a hoax on the same day.[160]

BZÖ secretary-general Gerald Grosz announced that the party's goal was to gain at least 7% of votes,[161] while Haider said he would like to double the BZÖ's votes from 4% to 8%.[148] Haider later stated on 24 August 2008 he would like to become chancellor and would consider FPÖ leader Strache as his vice chancellor, and also claimed that the BZÖ would gain more than the 6–7% of the vote it was projected to receive at most by polls at that time.[162]

Extraparliamentary parties

Apart from the five parties represented in parliament with their own parliamentary groups (SPÖ, ÖVP, Greens, FPÖ, BZÖ) and the Communist Party of Austria, which has contested all elections in Austria since 1945, a number of other parties stated they planned to or were considering contesting the election. Parties require either the signatures of 3 MPs or the signatures 2,600 citizens (proportionally divided among the different states: 100 in Burgenland and Vorarlberg, 200 in Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol, 400 in Styria and Upper Austria and 500 in Lower Austria and Vienna) between 29 July 2008 and 22 August 2008 in order to stand.[163] The signatures have to come from citizens who are eligible to vote in the election; one can only support one party per election through one's signature, and the statement of support has to be signed at the town hall in front of an official. In addition, parties have to pay a fee of €435 to cover printing costs in each state, for a total of €3,915 to contest the election in all states.[164]

Liberal Forum

The Liberal Forum, represented in parliament from 2006 to 2008 by Alexander Zach as a single MP in the SPÖ's parliamentary group thanks to a pre-election agreement with the SPÖ prior to the 2006 election, announced it would contest the election, though it did not initially state whether Zach, LIF founder Heide Schmidt or well-known manager Hans-Peter Haselsteiner would be leading the electoral list;[165][166] analysts asserted that either Schmidt or Haselsteiner would have to be the main candidate in order for the LIF to have a chance of gaining the required 4%.[167][168] Analysts were divided on whether the LIF had a chance of entering parliament.[169][170][171] The LIF announced, after preparatory party meetings on 12 July and 13 July 2008, that it was structurally and financially prepared to contest the election, but that the decision on whether it would actually participate hinged on the location of appropriate candidates;[172] on 15 July 2008, the LIF announced it would stand, and that it would officially announce its main candidate by 28 July 2008.[173] On 23 July 2008 it was announced that the leading candidate had been determined, and that a presentation of the political program and the candidate list would take place on 25 July 2008.[174] On 25 July 2008 it was announced that Schmidt would lead the LIF into the elections, and that Haselsteiner would be the economy spokesman.[175] The election campaign budget was announced to be €1.5 million.[176]

It was announced on 30 July 2008 that Rudi Vouk, lawyer and activist of the Carinthian Slovenes, one of the most outspoken critics of Jörg Haider, would be the leading candidate of the LIF in Carinthia and would be the LIF's constitutional law spokesman. Vouk is also a member of the Enotna lista,[177] which announced its support for the LIF; it had also previously been a partner of the LIF in the 1990s.[178] The BZÖ claimed the candidacy of Vouk amounted to a "declaration of war" against them.[179] Marion Kitzberger, the founder of the Linzer Lernwerkstatt, was announced to be the LIF's leading candidate in Upper Austria and the family and social issues spokeswoman. Zach also stated he would not rule out supporting a minority government after the election.[180] Maria Schaffenrath was announced as the LIF's leading candidate in Tyrol and its women's issues and education spokeswoman[181], David Loidolt as defence spokesman and leading candidate in Burgenland (he called for the abolition of conscription)[182] and lateral hire Christine Szalay as leading candidate in Vorarlberg.[183] The Viennese list, lead by Schmidt and Zach themselves, also featured youth issues spokeswoman Daphne Frankl, justice spokesman Alexander Hofmann, budget and finances spokesman Peter Unger and science and research spokesman Ronald J. Pohoryles.[184] The leading candidate in Lower Austria and spokesman for art, culture, communication and the environment was Rudolf Berger, former director of the Vienna Volksoper,[185] and the leading candidate in Styria was Gabriele Metz.[186]

Besides Schmidt and Haselsteiner, there were unconfirmed rumours that two other people might appear as LIF candidates: former justice minister Karin Gastinger, who left the BZÖ over Westenthaler's comments about deportation about immigrants in the 2006 election campaigning, and Josef Broukal, the former ORF newsanchor who joined the SPÖ, became its university spokesman and left shortly after the early elections were called (because the SPÖ decided not to abolish university tuition fees together with Greens and FPÖ, deciding to adhere to the coalition pact signed with the ÖVP despite the ÖVP's decision to withdraw from the coalition). Former short-time LIF leader Christian Köck had also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

MEP Karin Resetarits, who was elected on Hans-Peter Martin's List in the 2004 European Parliament election, but later fell out with him and joined the LIF, announced on 17 July 2008 she would participate in the campaign, but did not want to go into national Austrian politics as she wanted to serve out her term in the European Parliament until June 2009 (if she were to resign, the mandate would next have to be offered to the next person on the electoral list of Hans-Peter Martin's List in 2004).[187] On 21 August 2008 she was announced as the LIF's leading candidate in Salzburg and as its European Union spokeswoman.[188] It was also announced on that date that former SPÖ member of the students' council Barbara Blaha, who left the SPÖ over its failure to abolish university tuition fees, had been approached by the LIF, but that Blaha had declined to join the LIF.[189]

The LIF announced on 19 August 2008 that it had gathered the necessary signatures to contest the election in all of Austria, becoming the first extraparliamentary party to do so.[190]

The new website of the LIF was presented on 1 September 2008.[191]

Citizens' Forum Austria, Save Austria and the Whites of Austria

The Citizens' Forum Austria of Fritz Dinkhauser (the short name is FRITZ), which had just become the second-largest party in Tyrol in the Tyrolean state election on 8 June 2008, will contest the election, at least in Tyrol, possibly nationally. He expected his movement to be joined by unionists, economists, mayors and doctors from across the country.[192] Leading members of the ÖVP demanded that Dinkhauser should leave the ÖVP, of which he still was a member, if he ran against them nationally.[193] Later statements indicated Dinkhauser would not be expelled from the ÖVP to avoid making a martyr of him.[194] However, due to the ÖVP's party statutes, Dinkhauser effectively left the ÖVP of his own will by accepting a political mandate from another party, which he did by becoming a state MP for his Citizens' Forum Tyrol in the Tyrolean Landtag.[195][196] It is not yet clear how many Tyrolean ÖVP members joined the FRITZ together with Dinkhauser, but the number is reported to be rather high.[197] The name of the list was announced as "Citizens' Forum Austria – Fritz Dinkhauser's List" (Bürgerforum Österreich – Liste Fritz Dinkhauser).[198] Dinkhauser formally decided on 28 July 2008 whether he would contest the election, and it was widely assumed that he would,[199] assuming he had secured the necessary financial backing.[200]

Dinkhauser had secured the cooperation of the Free Citizens' Lists (Freie Bürgerlisten, a group of former FPÖ members) in Burgenland,[201] and had reportedly got strong backing in Styria as well,[202] with rumours of a participation of fellow ÖVP rebel Gerhard Hirschmann (who failed to enter the Landtag in the 2005 election in Styria) in his list.[203][204] Hirschmann stated he supports Dinkhauser, but would not participate personally.[205] Upper Austrian farmer rebel Leo Steinbichler also supported Dinkhauser.[206] Dinkhauser's main Tyrolean ally Gurgiser stated, however, that he thought the national candidacy is a mistake and that he would certainly stay in Tyrol. At a later date, it was reported that one of Dinkhauser's most important supporters (who declined to be named, but was assumed to be Gurgiser) was strongly against turning the Citizens' Forum Tyrol into a national party, as he saw it as far more important to establish it as the primary opposition to the ÖVP in Tyrol instead.[207] The election campaign budget was announced to be €2.5 million, making it the largest budget of the extraparliamentary parties.[176]

Two migrants' lists, the "New Movement for the Future" (Neue Bewegung für die Zukunft) led by the Austrian Chamber of Labour rebel Adnan Dincer in Vorarlberg and the small "List for Our Lower Austria" (Liste für unser Niederösterreich) were reportedly interested in cooperation, though Dincer stated he wouldn't stand in the election but just offer his support to Dinkhauser.[208] Furthermore there had been rumours about contacts with former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser.[209] A group of doctors and medics in opposition to the health system reform called "The Whites of Austria" (Die Weißen Österreich