OVP Crash In Polls Following Kurz Resignation

The senior partner in Austria's governing coalition, the centre-right People's Party (OVP) has seen its support crash in the latest opinion poll carried out in the midst of the resignation of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Kurz left office on 11 October following the confirmation that he faced an investigation into alleged corruption relating to the supposed bribing of various media outlets to secure favourable coverage for the gov't.

• ÖVP : 26% (-9), SPÖ: 25% (+3), FPÖ: 21% (+2), Neos: 11% (-1), Grüne: 11%, IFDD, 07-11/10/21, 1,526 respondents, chgs w/15-21/07/21
• ÖVP: 25%, SPÖ: 25%, FPÖ: 18%, GRÜNE: 11%, NEOS: 11%, MFG: 7%, IFDD, 07-11/10/21, 1,526 respondents.
• The polling from IFDD shows the OVP down 9% from July, now just one point ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO). The right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPO) holds onto third place with 21% (the party's best polling score since September 2019). The environmentalist Greens and liberal Neos each sit on 11%.
• In the poll with the anti-vaxx, anti-lockdown MFG included, the OVP and SPO sit level on 25% of the vote. The 7% secured by the MFG would also be enough to see the party gain representation in the National Council.
• The political landscape in Austria remains particularly uncertain for the foreseeable future. The installation of former foreign secretary Alexander Schallenberg as chancellor is likely to ward off any immediate gov't collapse, but Kurz remains head of the OVP with strong internal party support. At the age of just 35, should he be able to beat the charges against him there is a good chance that he seeks to re-take office, although this may require the calling of a snap election should his coalition partners, the Greens, refuse.