Austrian Elections

‘Campaign fairy tales and reality’

Published on 29 August 2013 at 11:39

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With just four and half weeks left to run before general elections in Austria on September 29, Die Presse lists seven lies that have been put about in the course of election campaigns, which are now “approaching a climax.”

“Fairy tales” about possible coalitions are high on the list presented by the newspaper. The social democrats (SPÖ) have warned against a coalition of conservatives (ÖVP) and liberals (FPÖ), while the ÖVP has fretted over the possibility of a coalition between the SPÖ and the Greens. Both of these hypotheses, argues the daily, are completely unrealistic in a context where the two parties of the outgoing coalition, the ÖVP and the SPÖ, will win the most votes.

The SPÖ has also falsely accused the ÖVP of wanting to introduce 12-hour working days, whereas in fact, the aim “is to allow 12-hour shifts that will enable workers to take advantage of reduced hours on other days,” points out the newspaper. For their part, the conservatives are criticising the SPÖ for planning to impose a wealth tax on the middle class, when in fact the proposal will only apply to people whose wealth or inheritance exceeds €1m, remarks the daily.

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