The city of Graz, Austria, causes a momentary stir by (maybe) electing a Communist mayor

Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown Graz attracted attention in Austria with its local elections on Sunday: Walter Müller and Elisa Tomaselli, Landslide Victory for the Communists in Graz: What Fueled Their Success and What Comes Next? Standard 27.09.2021.

Although The English headline writer for Der Standard may not quite know what the English "landslide" means. The party in question (KPÖ from its German initials), won 29% with 34 thousand votes and came in first in what was basically a six-party race. But as one analyst, Colette Schzmidt puts it, every few years a good election performance of the FPÖ in Graz generates a similar bit of chatter in the press, "in the best case entertaining, in the worst case smearing people." We see that in the linked article with the "Lenin-Graz" label it mentions, which is kind of funny - although the party using that phrase meant it as an insult.

For the local party leader Elke Kahr to even become mayor of Graz she will need a coalition with the Social Democratic and Green parties. The quote from political scientist Manès Weisskircher that he "doesn't believe there will be any kind of rapid communist expansion into the other Austrian states" was almost surely a joke. Graz is the capital city of the state of Styria, which is basically the only state in Austria where the KPÖ has any notable political presence at all. Gosh, voter contact and popular issues earns votes, who could have guessed?

Weisskircher explains in a separate column

Certainly, no political success story provides a blueprint for effective political strategies. Starting conditions, grievances, and preferences are too different from place to place and at different political levels. Nevertheless, the rise of the KPÖ Graz points to the importance of long-term political work and focusing and working on topics that are of daily relevance for large parts of the population. This may sound banal at first glance. However, such a perspective goes beyond short-term factors that are regularly overemphasized in the political debate: Political labels, election campaigns, glossy brochures or supposedly charismatic top candidates may not be as decisive for sustainable success as often assumed.

(All translations from the German here are mine.)

I atttended a book presentation last night by two of Austria's leading political analysts, Nina Horaczek and Walter Ötsch, and someone asked about the Graz election. Their take was in line with what the press reports (including this one) have said, which is that they pulled their 34 thousand votes by stressing the need for more affordable housing and old-fashioned face-to-face politicking.

See also: Website of the Styrian KPÖ

Bibliography of articles (ordered by date):

Walter Müller, KPÖ-Sieg in Graz: Rote Revolution Standard 26.09.2021

Zoe Schneeweiss, Anti-Vaxxers, Communists Surprise in Austrian Regional Ballots Bloomberg News 09/26/2021

Communist party wins municipal election in Austrian city AP 09/26/2021

Walter Müller and Elisa Tomaselli, Landslide Victory for the Communists in Graz: What Fueled Their Success and What Comes Next? Standard 27.09.2021
Petra Stuber, Erfolg der Grazer KPÖ: Gut wohnen wollen alle Standard 27.09.2021

Auch Medien im Ausland staunen ORF 27.09.2021

KPÖ gewann von fast allen ORF Steiermark 27.09.2021

Kahr freundet sich mit „Bürgermeisterin“ an ORF 27.09.2021

Sensation: KPÖ gewinnt Grazer Gemeinderats-Wahl Kleine Zeitung 27.09.2021

Gremien tagen, Warten auf BriefwahlstimmenWie es am Tag nach der Graz-Wahl weitergeht Kleine Zeitung 27.09.2021

Parteigremien tagen in Graz nach der Gemeinderatswahl Kleine Zeitung 27.09.2021

Astrid Ebenführer, Elke Kahr: "Ich habe von einem Stalin nie etwas gehalten" Standard 28.09.2021

Erfrischend anders: Grazer KPÖ-Chefin Elke Kahr bei Armin Wolf in der "ZiB 2" Standard 28.09.2021

Annette Gantner, Elke Kahr: Die beherzte Marxistin Oberösterreichische Nachrichten 28.09.2021

Bernd Heck, In Graz steht für viele Akteure eine demokratiepolitische Reifeprüfung an Kleine Zeitung 28.09.2021

Wahlsieg der Kommunisten in Graz löst internationales Echo aus Oberösterreichische Nachrichten 28.09.2021

Claudia Gigler, Die SPÖ nach den Wahlen: „Das KPÖ-Programm ist defacto sozialdemokratisch“ Kleine Zeitung 28.09.2021

Colette Schmidt, Max Zirngast wird KPÖ-Gemeinderat: "Ich habe kein Problem mit einer klaren Haltung" Standard 28.09.2021

Stefan Pajman, "Dass die einmal gewinnen, damit hat keiner gerechnet" Kleine Zeitung 28.09.2021

Miriam Gassner-Olechowski, Die Grazer KPÖ – eine neue Version der Sozialdemokratie Standard 28.09.2021

Mitreden: Graz-Wahl: Ihre Erwartungen an die KPÖ? Standard 28.09.2021

Claudia Gigler, Was macht die KPÖ so stark?Lercher (SPÖ): "Politik, die auf Alltagssorgen beruht, geht in die Herzen" Kleine Zeitung 28.09.2021

Michael Matzenberger, Die tristen Gründe für den KPÖ-Erfolg Standard 29.09.2021

Sympathien für die KPÖ sind nicht nur ein Grazer, sondern auch ein obersteirisches Phänomen Standard 29.09.2021

Manès Weisskircher, Das ungenutzte linke Potenzial in Österreich Standard 29.09.2021

Colette Schmidt, Die tristen Gründe für den KPÖ-Erfolg 29.09.2021

Die neuen Social-Media-Marxisten Standard 29.09.2021

Jasmin Bürger, Die Zeichen stehen auf Rot-Grün-Rot: Kahr verhandelt bis Freitag mit allen Oberösterreichische Nachrichten 29.09.2021

K wie Kahr, K wie Kaltenegger Standard 30.09.2021

Martin Halla, Die KPÖ in Graz: Nicht die bessere Caritas Standard 30.09.2021

Claudia Gigler, Elke Kahr (KPÖ): "Ich weiß nicht, welcher Teufel ihn da geritten hat" Kleine Zeitung 30.09.2021

Umstrittenes Video von KPÖ-LAbg. nach Graz-Wahl aufgetaucht Kleine Zeitung 30.09.2021