ABSTRACT
The election in Austria is based on proportional vote, with a 4 percent hurdle, and most polls had the bundnis zukunft osterreich (BZO) unable to reach this percentage. In all of the other eight counties, the BZO was an almost negligible political party. If the BZO had not managed to get seats in the State Diet, a social democratic party (SPO)-Grune coalition would have been possible. An SPO minority government would have needed the support of two smaller parties, too, and the csaw itself confronted with the same dilemma as the people’s party (OVP). Until the beginning of 2006, the SPO was—according to polls—more or less ahead of the OVP. With the publication of more and more pieces of information about the Bank fur Arbeit und Wirtschaft debacle, though, the OVP was able to gain ground continuously and soon was first. The BZO and the FPO were fighting for the same clientele with very strong xenophobic arguments.
