| Austria |
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Joint state and municipal elections were held in Salzburg on 1 March 2009. The election is likely to see a strong contest between the SPÖ and the ÖVP over the post of governor, after the SPÖ won the 2004 election for the first time in history.[1]
The BZÖ will contest the state election under its new chairman Robert Stark.[2]
Polls saw the SPÖ continue to lead with 41%, the ÖVP in second place with 36% and the FPÖ increase their votes with 15%. The Greens were seen as losing slightly to 6%, while the BZÖ would only gain 3% and fail to gain any seats.[3]
In 23 of the 119 municipalities, only one candidate is standing for the office of mayor (20 of them from the ÖVP, three from the SPÖ).[4]
FPÖ leader Karl Schnell announced on 10 February 2009 that he would retire if the FPÖ got less than 15% of the votes.[5]
The SPÖ lost a lot of votes, but remained largest party ahead of the ÖVP, which also lost a bit; the FPÖ gained a lot of votes, the Greens lost slightly and the BZÖ narrowly failed to enter the Landtag.[6]
| Party | Votes in % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) | 39.5% | 15 | |
| Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) | 36.5% | 14 | |
| Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) | 13.0% | 5 | |
| The Greens – The Green Alternative (Grüne) | 7.3% | 2 | |
| Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) | 3.7% | 0 |
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