
Social Democrat Dietmar Prammer has been elected mayor of Linz after securing 77.1% of the vote in a decisive run-off victory against the far-right Freedom Party’s (FPÖ) candidate, Michael Raml, on Sunday.
The result means Linz continues its unbroken tradition of Social Democratic (SPÖ) leadership, which stretches back to 1945.
Turnout remained low, matching the 42.2% recorded in the first round of voting two weeks ago. In that round, Prammer – previously the city’s planning councillor – had already gained a strong lead with 40.2% of the vote, while Raml trailed behind with 20.2%.
The election came earlier than expected, following the resignation of Klaus Luger, Prammer’s SPÖ predecessor, over accusations of favouritism.
Prammer attributed his win to the broader political climate, saying, “There will be many people who wanted to send a signal for unity, and I stand for stability and togetherness.”
He also acknowledged the Green Party’s backing, describing it as an important factor in his success. Prammer will be inaugurated in just over a week and has promised to work cooperatively with all political parties.
ÖVP Holds Firm in Lower Austria
Meanwhile, in Lower Austria’s municipal elections, the People’s Party (ÖVP) maintained its position as the leading political force. The party retained control of cities such as Wiener Neustadt and Waidhofen an der Thaya and even won several municipalities from the SPÖ.
The ÖVP secured 46.97% of the statewide vote. The SPÖ came second with 26.39%, a drop from 27.73%, while the FPÖ climbed to 13.05% – its best result yet in Lower Austria’s municipal elections.
The Greens saw their share fall to 4.69%, down by 1.23 percentage points, while NEOS edged up slightly to 1.77% (+0.52). Independent lists also gained ground, rising to 7.14% from 6.49% in the previous elections.
Elections were held in 568 of Lower Austria’s 573 municipalities, with around 1.3 million people eligible to vote. Five municipalities, including St. Pölten and Krems, did not hold elections as they follow different schedules.