The party struggle over the merger ignites the Vienna elections
Vienna is witnessing significant demographic changes ahead of the upcoming local elections, where the topic of integration has once again become a key focus of political discussion. The population of the capital has risen from 1,911,191 in October 2020 to over 2 million at the beginning of 2024, with estimates in the greater urban area ranging from 2.5 to 3 million, depending on the method of calculation.
What is striking is that most of the newcomers to Vienna are not from EU countries or from within Austria, but from third European and non-European countries. Between 2020 and 2022, about 98,000 Austrians left the capital, while 127,636 people from third countries settled there, nearly half of whom are from outside Europe.
At the beginning of 2024, the number of Austrian citizens in Vienna was about 1,295,341, while the number of those with foreign origins was 911,152. Young people make up the largest percentage of new arrivals, as 40.9% of young people aged 16 to 24 do not hold Austrian citizenship, meaning they are not eligible to vote. The age group between 25 and 44 has the largest number of ineligible voters at 45.7%.
As the Vienna elections approach on the 27th of this month, the debate over integration is intensifying, especially regarding issues such as asylum, family reunification, and social assistance. The major parties have clearly stated their positions:
The SPÖ (Social Democratic Party) led by Mayor Michael Ludwig proposes the establishment of a new integration center focused on teaching the German language and promoting shared values, to help refugees adapt to the labor market and daily life.
FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) rejects the provision of integration programs for refugees, considering that asylum is a "temporary right". The party calls for a reduction in immigration and for Vienna to become a "capital of deportation instead of a capital of immigration", focusing on teaching children in their mother tongues and training adults to return to their home countries.
The ÖVP (Austrian People's Party) emphasizes that immigration must be subject to law, and newcomers must respect Austrian values and learn the language, with a complete rejection of any anti-Semitic practices. The slogan: "Integration must be mandatory."
The Greens (Grüne) call for equitable coexistence and focus on teaching children the German language while preserving their mother tongue. They also support the establishment of neighbor centers and integration assistants to facilitate official procedures.
NEOS demands a special integration law in Vienna, seeing education as the key. Those who do not benefit from support programs gradually lose them. They also call for the revocation of residency rights for refugees who commit crimes.
With this data, it seems that the issue of integration will be a decisive factor in voters' trends, as central Vienna is rapidly turning into a multicultural city, but without voting rights for half of its population of foreign origin.