In Austria, more and more people are living without the right to vote. 1.4 million people over the age of 16 will not be able to take part in the presidential election for lack of citizenship. 20 years ago it would have been only 580,000. The number of eligible voters, on the other hand, has recently fallen. There are particularly many people who are not eligible to vote in the cities and in the West. Political scientist Peter Filzmaier can imagine a reform, but advises discussing it “as far away from any election as possible”.
As data from Statistics Austria evaluated by the APA shows, around 30 percent of the population of voting age in Innsbruck and Salzburg are not entitled to vote, in Linz and Graz a quarter (as of July 1). In Vienna, the average is just under a third – albeit with strong regional differences: in individual districts, four out of ten Viennese of voting age do not have citizenship. Across Austria, around 18 percent of the resident population aged 16 and over does not have citizenship – that is, a good one in six people of voting age.
Highest values Away from metropolitan areas
However, the highest values are outside of the metropolitan areas. These communities are special cases: the enclaves of Jungholz (Tyrol) with 66 percent and Mittelberg (Vorarlberg) with 51 percent non-voting residents can only be reached from Austria via German territory. Many Slovak families have settled in Kittsee (Burgenland) and Wolfsthal (Lower Austria) because of their proximity to Bratislava. However, the proportion is consistently high in the Vorarlberg Rhine Valley.
The number of eligible voters, on the other hand, has stagnated. In the 2019 National Council election, 4,000 fewer people were entitled to vote than in 2017 or in the 2016 federal presidential election.
Filzmaier warns of negative consequences
For the political scientist Filzmaier, the permanent exclusion of large sections of the population can have negative consequences. Because even people without citizenship are affected by the decisions of the political system, but without being allowed to have a say. As a result, potentially undesirable outlets for dissatisfaction could form. “Since people are affected by the decisions of the political system in their place of residence, it could also be linked to their place of residence instead of citizenship,” says Filzmaier. Of course only after a long period of residence.
However, there is no sign of a majority in favor of reform. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen had already received a rebuff from the ÖVP and FPÖ in May with the proposal to make naturalization easier. Filzmaier also advocates conducting the electoral law discussion outside of the election campaign in order to avoid emotionalization – especially since there are valid pro and contra arguments.
“Within the rules of the game, we constantly make electoral decisions, which you can see in one way or another, and both sides are democrats,” emphasizes the political scientist, referring to recent changes in the voting age and voting rights for second homes. “My most urgent recommendation is to have this electoral debate as far away from any election as possible.”