While big Germany elected its Bundestag Parliament on Sunday, there was also a tiny election going on nearby. In neighbouring Austria, the province capital of Graz, Austria’s second largest city after Vienna, also voted for its City Council.
Up to now Mayor Siegfried Nagl, member of Austria’s ruling conservative People’s Party of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, was in the lead with 37.8 percent of the electorate. He has been reigning since 2003 and lost 11.9 percentage points. The local reason for this loss might have been his arrogance, the national reason for the defeat are the alleged corruption scandals of the People’s Party of Chancellor Kurz and his friends, that are being investigated by the State prosecutors.
Mayor Nagl and his far-right coalition partners of the Freedom Party lost dramatically. The Freedom Party is still suffering from the “Ibiza”-scandal of its leader Heinz-Christian Strache, who was secretly videotaped in a meeting with a fake Russian Oligarch lady. Both ruling parties now had to pay the price.
The main opposition parties won, the Greens and the Liberals, but first and foremost the Communists. In Graz they have a strong tradition in helping the poor as social workers, especially with their housing problems. For many years they have been engaging in supporting the poor and homeless, even with their own salaries. And now finally this decent, honest and upright work was rewarded. The Communist Party of Elke Kahr finished first with 28.8 percent.
In Austria usually the Caritas, part of the Roman-Catholic Church, helps the poor and homeless. In Graz it’s also the Communists who are doing this. What a marvellous coalition: The catholic Caritas and the atheist Communists unite in the work for the poor. Jesus Christ and Karl Marx finally became friends. Strange things are happening here on Earth these days…
Welcome to Leningraz!
Elke Kahr in Austrian Public Broadcast ORF:
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Vienna Calling 
Strange things are good things…