2023 Lower Austrian state election
{{Short description|State election in Austria}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2023 Lower Austrian state election
| country = Lower Austria
| flag_year = state
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2018 Lower Austrian state election
| previous_year = 2018
| next_election =
| next_year = 2028
| seats_for_election = All 56 seats in the Landtag of Lower Austria
{{small|29 seats needed for a majority}}
All 9 seats in the state government
| election_date = 29 January 2023
| turnout = 922,253 (71.6%)
{{increase}} 5.0%
| image1 = 150x150px
| leader1 = Johanna Mikl-Leitner
| party1 = Austrian People's Party
| last_election1 = 29 seats, 49.6%
| seats1 = 23
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}} 6
| popular_vote1 = 359,338
| percentage1 = 39.9%
| swing1 = {{decrease}} 9.7%
| image2 = 150x150px
| leader2 = Udo Landbauer
| party2 = Freedom Party of Austria
| last_election2 = 8 seats, 14.8%
| seats2 = 14
| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 6
| popular_vote2 = 217,639
| percentage2 = 24.2%
| swing2 = {{increase}} 9.4%
| image3 = 150x150px
| leader3 = Franz Schnabl
| party3 = Social Democratic Party of Austria
| last_election3 = 13 seats, 23.9%
| seats3 = 12
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 1
| popular_vote3 = 185,861
| percentage3 = 20.7%
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 3.2%
| image4 = 150x150px
| leader4 = Helga Krismer
| party4 = The Greens – The Green Alternative
| last_election4 = 3 seats, 6.4%
| seats4 = 4
| seat_change4 = {{increase}} 1
| popular_vote4 = 68,276
| percentage4 = 7.6%
| swing4 = {{increase}} 1.2%
| image5 = 150x150px
| leader5 = Indra Collini
| party5 = NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum
| last_election5 = 3 seats, 5.2%
| seats5 = 3
| seat_change5 = {{steady}} 0
| popular_vote5 = 60,024
| percentage5 = 6.7%
| swing5 = {{increase}} 1.5%
| map_image = Landtagswahl Niederösterreich 2023.svg
| map_size =
| map_caption = Results by town/city
| title = Governor
| before_election = Johanna Mikl-Leitner
| before_party = Austrian People's Party
| after_election = Johanna Mikl-Leitner
| after_party = Austrian People's Party
}}
The 2023 Lower Austrian state election was held on 29 January 2023 to elect the members of the Landtag of Lower Austria.{{cite web|url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3180595/|title=Lower Austria votes on January 29th|date=3 November 2022|language=de|website=ORF}}{{cite web|url=https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/fahrplan-bis-29-jaenner-was-man-zur-noe-landtagswahl-wissen-muss-niederoesterreich-print-land-noe-landtagswahl-2023-noe-landesregierung-noe-landtag-342593186|title=What you need to know about the Lower Austrian state election|date=9 November 2022|language=de|website=Niederösterreichische Nachrichten}}
The ruling conservative ÖVP lost almost 10 percentage points and received slightly less than 40 % of the vote, making it its worst election result in Lower Austria's history. As a result, the party also lost its absolute majority in the state parliament (23 of 56 seats, -9), and its absolute majority in the state government, losing two of its six seats.
The center-left SPÖ also had its worst election result in history, losing more than 3 percentage points and receiving 20.7 % of the vote. They lost one seat in the Landtag but kept their two state councilors. For the first time since World War II, the SPÖ ended up in third place in a Lower Austrian state election.
The far-right populist FPÖ achieved their best election result yet, winning more than 24 % of the vote, an increase of almost 10 percentage points. Their seat share in the Landtag increased by 6, to 14 seats. They added two seats to their current one in the state government. For the first time ever, they overtook SPÖ and landed in second place in a state election.
The environmentalist Greens improved their election results slightly, winning about 8 % of the vote, up by just over 1 percentage point. They gained an additional seat in the Landtag and regained their parliamentary fraction status by winning a fourth seat again.
The liberal NEOS also improved their previous election result by more than 1 percentage point and received 6.7 %, their best result yet and kept their three seats in the Landtag.
Both the Greens and NEOS failed to receive a seat in the nine-member state government.
Voter turnout was 71.6 %, an increase of 5 percentage points from the previous election, reversing a long-time trend of falling turnout.
Background
The Lower Austrian constitution mandates that cabinet positions in the state government (state councillors, {{langx|de|Landesräte}}) be allocated amongst parties proportionally to the share of votes won by each; this is known as Proporz. As such, the government is a perpetual coalition of all parties that qualify for at least one state councillor. After the 2018 election, ÖVP had six councillors, the SPÖ two, and the FPÖ one. A party has to win at least 10 to 12 percent of the vote to receive a seat in the state government.{{cite web|url=https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/volkspartei-noe-haelt-am-proporzsystem-fest-niederoesterreich-vpnoe-indra-collini-noe-landesregierung-klaus-schneeberger-148335503|title=People's Party NÖ sticks to the Proporz system|date=23 May 2019|language=de|website=Niederösterreichische Nachrichten}}
Electoral system
The 56 seats of the Landtag of Lower Austria are elected via open list proportional representation in a two-step process. The seats are distributed between twenty multi-member constituencies. For parties to receive any representation in the Landtag, they must either win at least one seat in a constituency directly, or clear a four percent statewide electoral threshold. Seats are distributed in constituencies according to the Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated using the D'Hondt method at the state level, to ensure overall proportionality between a party's vote share and its share of seats.{{cite web|url=https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=LrNO&Gesetzesnummer=20000067|title=ROS - NÖ Landtag electoral law 1992 - State law for Lower Austria, version of 04.08.2020|publisher=Lower Austrian Government}}
Contesting parties
The table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag.
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" colspan="3"| Name ! rowspan="2"| Ideology ! rowspan="2"| Leader ! colspan="3"| 2018 result |
| Votes (%)
! Seats ! Councillors |
|---|
| style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};"|
| style="text-align:center;"| ÖVP | Austrian People's Party | style="text-align:center;"| 49.6% | {{Composition bar|29|56|{{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}} | {{Composition bar|6|9|{{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}} |
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}};"|
| style="text-align:center;"| SPÖ | Social Democratic Party of Austria | Franz Schnabl{{cite web|url=https://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/politik/oesterreich/2168379-Rauere-Konkurrenz-vor-der-Wahl.html|title=Red-black match to expand childcare|date=18 November 2022|language=de|website=Wiener Zeitung}} | style="text-align:center;"| 23.9% | {{Composition bar|13|56|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}}}} | {{Composition bar|2|9|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}}}} |
| style="background:{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}};"|
| style="text-align:center;"| FPÖ | Freedom Party of Austria | Right-wing populism | Udo Landbauer{{cite web|url=https://www.puls24.at/news/politik/noe-wahl-landbauer-fpoe-spitzenkandidat-waldhaeusl-auf-platz-2/281170|title=Lower Austria election: Landbauer FPÖ top candidate, Waldhäusl in 2nd place|date=15 November 2022|language=de|website=Puls 24}} | style="text-align:center;"| 14.8% | {{Composition bar|8|56|{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}}}} | {{Composition bar|1|9|{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}}}} |
| style="background:{{party color|The Greens – The Green Alternative}};"|
| style="text-align:center;"| GRÜNE | The Greens – The Green Alternative | style="text-align:center;"| 6.4% | {{Composition bar|3|56|{{party color|The Greens – The Green Alternative}}}} |
| style="background:{{party color|NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum}};"|
| style="text-align:center;"| NEOS | NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum | Indra Collini{{cite web|url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3160297/|title=Collini confirmed as Neos top candidate|date=11 June 2022|language=de|website=ORF}} | style="text-align:center;"| 5.2% | {{Composition bar|3|56|{{party color|NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum}}}} |
Parties not currently represented in the state parliament of Lower Austria had until 23 December 2022 to submit the necessary signatures and paperwork to gain ballot access, either in individual constituencies or statewide.
In addition to the 5 parties represented in the state parliament, all of which are on the ballot statewide, another 3 parties gained ballot access:
- MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights: (only in 5/20 constituencies: Baden, Krems, Mödling, St. Pölten and Tulln)
- KPÖ Plus – offene Liste: (only in 4/20 constituencies: Amstetten, Bruck an der Leitha, St. Pölten and Wiener Neustadt)
- ZIEL - Dein Ziel: (only in 1/20 constituencies: Amstetten)
Campaign
After the Austrian ÖVP-led federal government vetoed Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area, it was accused of having done so out of fear of losing seats in the Lower Austrian state election, with the FPÖ rising in opinion polls.{{cite web|url=https://www.heute.at/s/regierung-will-bei-schengen-veto-hart-bleiben-spoe-uneins-100243481|title=Government wants to remain firm on Schengen veto, SPÖ at odds.|date=12 December 2022|language=de|website=heute.at}}
Opinion polling
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:14px;" |
| style="height:40px;"
! style="width:220px;" rowspan="2"| Polling firm ! style="width:125px;" rowspan="2"| Fieldwork date ! style="width:35px;" rowspan="2"| Sample ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| ÖVP ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| SPÖ ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| FPÖ ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| Grüne ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| NEOS ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"| MFG ! class="unsortable" style="width:40px;" rowspan="2"| Others ! style="width:30px;" rowspan="2"| Lead |
| style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};"|
! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}};"| ! style="background:{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}};"| ! style="background:{{party color|The Greens – The Green Alternative}};"| ! style="background:{{party color|NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum}};"| ! style="background:{{party color|MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights}};"| |
|---|
| style="background:#E9E9E9;"
|2023 state election |29 Jan 2023 |– | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 39.9 |20.7 |24.2 |7.6 |6.7 |0.5 |0.4 |style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 15.7 |
| [https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/landtagswahl-niederoesterreich/umfrage-check-vor-noe-wahl-oevp-zittert-um-40-prozent/543551268 Market-Lazarsfeld/ÖSTERREICH]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-22"| 21–22 Jan 2023 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 38 | 23 | 25 | 6 | 7 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 13 |
| [https://kurier.at/politik/inland/eine-woche-vor-noe-wahl-oevp-muss-sich-auf-absturz-einstellen/402300029 OGM/Kurier]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-19"| 13–19 Jan 2023 | 1,048 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 37 | 23 | 26 | 6 | 7 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 11 |
| [https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000142736120/nur-28-prozent-wuerden-mikl-leitner-bei-einer-direktwahl-waehlen Market/DER STANDARD]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-17"| 13–17 Jan 2023 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 39 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 7 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
| [https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/politik/umfrage-krimi-in-noe-oevp-faellt-unter-40-prozent/542665431 Market-Lazarsfeld/ÖSTERREICH]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-12"| 11–12 Jan 2023 | 1,000 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 38 | 23 | 25 | 6 | 7 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 13 |
| [https://www.puls24.at/news/politik/noe-umfrage-oevp-bei-40-prozent-fpoe-ueberholt-spoe/285962 Unique Research/APA/ATV/Heute/Puls24]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-12"| 9–12 Jan 2023 | 1,200 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 40 | 22 | 25 | 6 | 6 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
| [https://www.meinbezirk.at/niederoesterreich/c-politik/noe-wahl-umfrage-oevp-bei-42-prozent-spoe-stuerzt-unter-20_a5829193 AKONSULT/Bezirksblätter]
| data-sort-value="2023-01-10"| 4–10 Jan 2023 | 450 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 42 | 19 | 23 | 6 | 6 | – | 4 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 19 |
| [https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/wahlkampf-startet-landtagswahl-oevp-und-fpoe-laut-noen-umfrage-im-aufwind-niederoesterreich-landtagswahl-landtagswahl-2023-noen-umfrage-christoph-haselmayer-print-349063988 IFDD/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2022-12-30"| 19–30 Dec 2022 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 42 | 24 | 19 | 7 | 7 | – | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 18 |
| [https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/landtagswahl-2023-noen-sonntagsfrage-oevp-holt-wieder-auf-spoe-stagniert-niederoesterreich-print-landtagswahl-2023-sonntagsfrage-ifdd-346133117 IFDD/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2022-12-02"| 3 Nov–2 Dec 2022 | 1,209 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 41 | 24 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 17 |
| [https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000140390116/gute-werte-fuer-mikl-leitner-schlechte-fuer-ihre-oevp Market/DER STANDARD]
| data-sort-value="2022-10-31"| 14–18 Oct 2022 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 38 | 25 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 13 |
| [https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/exklusiv-noen-sonntagsfrage-oevp-rutscht-auch-in-noe-ab-neos-und-gruene-holen-auf-niederoesterreich-print-landtagswahl-2023-sonntagsfrage-johanna-mikl-leitner-noen-umfrage-337593359 IFDD, Telemark/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2022-09-27"| 15–23 Sep 2022 | 1,400 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 39 | 25 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 14 |
| [https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000138573974/umfrage-nur-mehr-ein-drittel-der-niederoesterreicher-oevp-waehler Market-Lazarsfeld/ÖSTERREICH]
| data-sort-value="2022-08-26"| August 2022 | 745 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 32 | 29 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 4 | – | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 3 |
| [https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/landtagswahl-prognose-noen-sonntagsfrage-oevp-verliert-spoe-holt-auf-mfg-wieder-weg-niederoesterreich-noen-umfrage-sonntagsfrage-christoph-haselmayer-print-328110198 IFDD/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2022-07-06"| 24 Jun–1 Jul 2022 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 41 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
| [https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/kurier-ogm-umfrage-zur-noe-landesregierung-drei-starke-frauen-fuenf-maenner-im-minus/402004587 OGM/Kurier]
| data-sort-value="2022-05-12"| 29 Apr–5 May 2022 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 42 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 20 |
| [https://www.krone.at/2617867 IFDD/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2022-02-02"| 21–28 Jan 2022 | 800 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 44 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 22 |
| [https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/politik/politische-stimmungslage-noen-sonntagsfrage-mikl-leitner-haelt-weiter-absolute-niederoesterreich-sonntagsfrage-vertrauensindex-johanna-mikl-leitner-redaktion-278630151 IFDD/NÖN]
| data-sort-value="2021-06-22"| 10–18 Jun 2021 | 806 | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 49 | 20 | 15 | 6 | 8 | – | 2 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 29 |
| style="background:#E9E9E9;"
| data-sort-value="2018-01-28"| 28 Jan 2018 | – | style="background:#b0b0b0;"| 49.6 | 23.9 | 14.8 | 6.4 | 5.2 | – | 0.1 | style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};color:#FFFFFF;"| 25.7 |
Results
| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
| align=center colspan=9|File:Lower Austrian State election 2023 1.svg |
| colspan=2|Party
! Votes ! % ! +/− ! Seats ! +/− ! {{abbr|Coun.|State councillors}} ! +/− |
|---|
| bgcolor={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}|
| align=left| Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) | 359,338 | 39.93 | –9.70 | 23 | –6 | 4 | –2 |
| bgcolor="{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}}" |
| align="left" | Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) | 217,639 | 24.19 | +9.43 | 14 | +6 | 3 | +2 |
| bgcolor="{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}}" |
| align="left" | Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) | 185,861 | 20.65 | –3.27 | 12 | –1 | 2 | ±0 |
| bgcolor={{party color|The Greens – The Green Alternative}}|
| align=left| The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE) | 68,276 | 7.59 | +1.16 | 4 | +1 | 0 | – |
| bgcolor={{party color|NEOS – The New Austria}}|
| align=left| NEOS – The New Austria (NEOS) | 60,024 | 6.67 | +1.52 | 3 | ±0 | 0 | – |
| bgcolor={{party color|MFG – Austria People – Freedom – Fundamental Rights}}|
| align=left| MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights (MFG) | 4,369 | 0.49 | New | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| bgcolor={{party color|Communist Party of Austria}}|
| align=left| Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ Plus) | 3,437 | 0.38 | New | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| bgcolor=FFFF00|
| align=left| Your Goal (ZIEL) | 893 | 0.10 | New | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| colspan=2 align=left| Total valid votes
| 899,837 | 97.57 | | | | | |
| colspan=2 align=left| Invalid/blank votes
| 22,416 | 2.43 | | | | | |
| colspan=2 align=left| Total
| 922,253 | 100 | | 56 | | 9 | |
| align=left colspan=2| Registered voters/turnout
| 1,288,838 | 71.56 | +5.00 | | | | |
| align=left colspan=9 |Source: [https://www.noe.gv.at/wahlen/L20231/Index.html Lower Austrian Government] |
= Results by constituency =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:16px"
! rowspan="3" style="width:140px;" |Constituency ! colspan="2" style="width:60px;" |ÖVP ! colspan="2" style="width:60px;" |SPÖ ! colspan="2" style="width:60px;" |FPÖ ! colspan="2" style="width:60px;" |Grüne ! colspan="2" style="width:60px;" |NEOS ! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" style="width:40px;" |Others ! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:40px;" |Total seats ! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:40px;" |Turnout |
| colspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Austrian People's Party}};" |
! colspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Austria}};" | ! colspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Freedom Party of Austria}};" | ! colspan="2" style="background:{{party color|The Greens – The Green Alternative}};" | ! colspan="2" style="background:{{party color|NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum}};" | |
|---|
| class="unsortable" | %
! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|S|Seats}} ! class="unsortable" | % ! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|S|Seats}} ! class="unsortable" | % ! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|S|Seats}} ! class="unsortable" | % ! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|S|Seats}} ! class="unsortable" | % ! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|S|Seats}} ! class="unsortable" | % |
| align="left" |Amstetten
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|36.69 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0|1 |20.44 | |27.73 | bgcolor=#C6D9EA| 1 |6.81 | |5.91 | |2.42 |2 |75.75 |
| align="left" |Baden
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 32.83 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |27.97 |bgcolor=#F4C6C9| 1 |23.00 |bgcolor=#C6D9EA| 1 |7.91 | |7.06 | |1.22 |3 |66.60 |
| align="left" |Bruck an der Leitha
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|36.81 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0|1 |26.36 | |23.15 | |6.69 | |5.56 | |1.42 |1 |63.40 |
| align="left" |Gänserndorf
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|39.51 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0|1 |24.89 | |24.95 | |5.42 | |5.22 | | |1 |66.90 |
| align="left" |Gmünd
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 40.46 | |23.32 | |27.16 | |4.59 | |4.47 | | | |76.45 |
| align="left" |Hollabrunn
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 48.32 | bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |17.39 | |22.14 | |7.04 | |5.10 | | |1 |75.70 |
| align="left" |Horn
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 53.55 | |14.03 | |22.13 | |5.43 | |4.87 | | | |78.39 |
| align="left" |Korneuburg
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 42.46 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |18.68 | |20.02 | |10.28 | |8.56 | | |1 |70.06 |
| align="left" |Krems an der Donau
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|43.58 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |17.11 | |23.33 | |7.21 | |7.20 | |1.58 |1 |76.07 |
| align="left" |Lilienfeld
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 37.61 | |28.16 | |24.86 | |4.76 | |4.60 | | | |76.43 |
| align="left" |Melk
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 40.20 | bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |19.12 | |28.99 | bgcolor=#C6D9EA| 1 |5.88 | |5.80 | | |2 |76.70 |
| align="left" |Mistelbach
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 48.07 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |17.12 | |22.34 | |6.72 | |5.76 | | |1 |74.98 |
| align="left" |Mödling
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 38.24 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |20.44 | |15.82 | |13.36 | |11.11 | |1.03 |1 |68.23 |
| align="left" |Neunkirchen
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 35.81 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |24.63 | |28.87 | bgcolor=#C6D9EA| 1 |5.24 | |5.45 | | |2 |72.20 |
| align="left" |Sankt Pölten
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 36.40 | |20.98 | |23.09 | |9.52 | |7.43 | |2.58 | |70.73 |
| align="left" |Scheibbs
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|43.39 | |17.69 | |26.67 | |5.85 | |6.40 | | | |78.34 |
| align="left" |Tulln
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0|42.65 | bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |16.90 | |19.65 | |10.60 | |8.77 | |1.44 |1 |71.32 |
| align="left" |Waidhofen an der Thaya
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 46.46 | |13.04 | |30.58 | |5.00 | |4.91 | | | |76.56 |
| align="left" |Wiener Neustadt
|bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 36.68 |bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |21.12 | |28.96 | bgcolor=#C6D9EA| 1 |6.09 | |5.90 | |1.24 |2 |66.59 |
| align="left" |Zwettl
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 48.97 | bgcolor=#b0b0b0| 1 |10.85 | |29.67 | |5.33 | |5.18 | | |1 |79.32 |
| colspan="14" bgcolor="lightgrey" | |
| align="left" |Remaining seats
| |9 | |11 | |9 | |4 | |3 | |36 | |
| colspan="14" bgcolor="lightgrey" | |
| align="left" |Total
| bgcolor=#b0b0b0|39.93 | bgcolor=#b0b0b0|23 |20.65 |12 |24.19 |14 |7.59 |4 |6.67 |3 |0.97 |56 |71.56 |
| class="sortbottom"
| colspan="14" align="left" |Source: [http://www.noe.gv.at/wahlen/L20231/Index.html?area=w Lower Austrian Government] |
Aftermath
File:Sven Hergovich (cropped).jpg
File:Waldhäusl Gottfried 23-05-13 KG 04.JPG
After the election, the SPÖ replaced their party leader Franz Schnabl with Sven Hergovich - the current Lower Austrian leader of the Austrian Labor Market Service for the unemployed (AMS).
Due to the Proporz system in Lower Austria, the ÖVP now gets 4 of the 9 state government councilors, the FPÖ 3 and the SPÖ 2.
Official talks between the ÖVP and the other parties to create a possible coalition or working agreement in the newly elected Landtag started right after the election.
A widely-perceived racist slur by FPÖ state councilor Gottfried Waldhäusl at a TV debate with high school students made a formal working agreement or coalition between the ÖVP and FPÖ unlikely - increasing instead the likelihood of a formal ÖVP-SPÖ working agreement or coalition in the Landtag. The widely-perceived racist slur by FPÖ state councilor Gottfried Waldhäusl was followed by a propaganda attack on the school of the students who participated in the TV debate with Waldhäusl, with unknown perpetrators dropping xenophobic leaflets and posters on the school grounds. Waldhäusl's comments and the xenophobic attack on the school prompted all other parties to sharply condemn Waldhäusl and the FPÖ. Meanwhile, the FPÖ either defended Waldhäusl or remained silent. Erwin Angerer, FPÖ lead candidate for the upcoming 2023 Carinthian state election on 5 March, said that he wouldn't have phrased Waldhäusl's comments the way he did, distancing himself somewhat from his party colleague. The FPÖ's general secretary Michael Schnedlitz, as well as party leader Herbert Kickl defended Waldhäusl's comments, while the FPÖ-leaders of Upper Austria, Tyrol and Salzburg were critical, saying "well-integrated high school students with a migrant background are the wrong target for failed immigration policy". Salzburg, like Carinthia, will vote later this year in the 2023 Salzburg state election on 23 April.
On 14 February 2023, the ÖVP started in-depth coalition talks with the SPÖ.{{cite web|url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3194748/|title=ÖVP und SPÖ starten vertiefende Gespräche|date=14 February 2023|language=de|website=ORF}}
On 9 March 2023, coalition talks between ÖVP and SPÖ were abruptly ended by the ÖVP after "unbridgeable differences", as well as "demands from the SPÖ that couldn't be agreed on". The new SPÖ-leader Sven Hergovich said "he would rather chop off his hand, than give in to the ÖVP". The SPÖ's demands included the introduction of all-day kindergarten care in Lower Austria, a statewide "job guarantee" for long-term unemployed, more heating benefits for poor people, better financial assistance for family members who perform long-term care for their ill/old family members and more investments into rural areas. The ÖVP said these demands would hurt the competitiveness of Lower Austria. The ÖVP will start in-depth talks with the FPÖ now about a possible coalition.{{cite web|url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3198054/|title=ÖVP stoppt Verhandlungen mit SPÖ, Gespräche mit FPÖ beginnen|date=9 March 2023|language=de|website=ORF}}
On 17 March, the new ÖVP-FPÖ coalition in the Lower Austrian state parliament (Landtag) was officially presented.{{cite web|url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3199166|title=ÖVP und FPÖ: Details zu Regierungspakt|date=17 March 2023|language=de|website=ORF}}
On 23 March, the new ÖVP-FPÖ coalition, the new ÖVP-FPÖ-SPÖ government and Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner were officially elected by the new Landtag. The FPÖ cast invalid votes in the election of Mikl-Leitner as Governor, despite entering a coalition with her ÖVP, honoring their campaign pledge not to re-elect her. SPÖ, Greens and NEOS voted against her. She received 24 of the 41 valid votes, out of 56 total members in the Landtag, the lowest number of votes for any Governor of Lower Austria. It was also the first time a Lower Austrian Governor was elected by a minority of the total members in the Landtag.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Austrian local elections}}
Category:2023 elections in Austria