The FPÖ’s previous head of delegation in the EU Parliament, Harald Vilimsky, was officially named the top candidate by the federal party executive committee on Friday evening – shortly before the party’s traditional New Year’s meeting on Saturday near Graz. The former liberal National Council member Petra Steger is running in second place on the list for the June election.
Behind them, the previous EU mandates Georg Mayer and Roman Haider follow in third and fourth places on the list – which are also considered safe according to current surveys, as the party announced on Friday evening. Steger, who is considered a confidant of federal party chairman Herbert Kickl, ran third on the list in the last European elections in 2019, but rejected her mandate in favor of joining the National Council. Since then, Vilimsky, Mayer and Haider have been sitting for the Freedom Party in the EU Parliament. According to surveys, the Blues might get one or two more mandates in the EU elections in June.
Traditional New Year’s meeting on Saturday
Party leader Kickl had already presented Vilimsky as the top candidate in October. The creation of the list is a top priority for the Freedom Party, but approval from the committees is still required. This was made up for on Friday evening at the meeting of the federal party executive committee and the much larger party leadership in Graz.
On Saturday, the traditional New Year’s meeting will take place in Premstätten on Schwarzlsee near Graz. In Styria, a new state parliament is scheduled to be elected in the fall. The FPÖ is of little benefit from a financial scandal involving the Graz Freedom Party and the pending investigations. In addition to party leader Kickl, state party chairman Mario Kunasek will also give a speech at the New Year’s meeting. Vilimsky will also speak briefly.
