As workers struggle to cope with sky-high inflation and cost-of-living hikes, a new poll has indicated that an overwhelming of Austrians are not pleased in the least bit with the work of the center-right ÖVP and left-liberal Green federal coalition, with nearly 3/4th (74%) of survey respondents reporting being not fully satisfied with the government.
The survey, carried out by the U.S.-based Gallup Institute for the Austrian national public broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), comes as the conservative, anti-globalist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has seen its support climb to record levels, surpassing all of the mainstream parties by a considerable margin, Exxpress reports.
According to the figures, 38% of those surveyed reported that overall they are “not at all satisfied” with the work of the federal government in the current year, while 36% reported feeling “only slightly” satisfied. Perhaps most shockingly, just 2% of survey respondents said they are “very satisfied” with the ruling coalition.
Unsurprisingly, in light of what many might regard as their unorthodox, anti-establishment positions on foreign and domestic policies, perceptions of the FPÖ were most polarized among Austrian voters.
While 14% of survey respondents reported being “very positively” impressed by the FPÖ, Austria’s four remaining parties in the federal parliament that were surveyed received a “very positive” impression among just 6% of respondents. At the same time, however, negative feelings about the FPÖ are present in broad swaths of the population, with 45% of survey respondents reporting having a “very negative” impression of the party, the highest level recorded among any of the parties.
Meanwhile, 42% were also “very negatively” impressed by the Greens, with 36% and 33% of respondents reporting the same about the ÖVP and SPÖ, respectively.
Also revealed in the Gallup Poll was the rather dismal mood prevailing among most of the population. According to the survey, 64% believe that Austria has developed negatively so far this year, while 23% perceive no change, and 10% view things as having changed for the better.
The most pressing issue, by far, in the eyes of Austrians is inflation, with 87% of those surveyed reporting that it’s a concern that they discuss quite or very often. Large swaths of the population are also concerned with the state of health care (71%), housing costs and availability (67%), government corruption (66%), business (64%), and climate protection (62%).
