Election 2019

Thomas Hofer, Barbara Tóth: Election 2019

The Scandal Election: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Austrian National Council Election 2019

It all began with the controversial Ibiza video. What the then-FPÖ Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache dismissed as a "drunken story" quickly led to the collapse of the turquoise-blue government and to new elections in Austria.

This non-fiction book provides a glimpse behind the scenes of a dirty and highly emotional election campaign, uncovering previously unknown facts. Key party strategists from ÖVP, FPÖ, SPÖ, the Greens, and NEOS speak in this "election book," as do independent campaign professionals, journalists, and experts.

What strategies did Sebastian Kurz and the other lead candidates pursue?
Hacks, leaks, and anonymous ads: Politicians driven by media coverage
Across party lines: Experts from practice and academia analyze the 2019 election
Disastrous image of Austrian politics: Why voter turnout dropped to 75 percent
The election analysis: Well-founded, comprehensive, and bipartisan

Even after the spectacular start of the campaign, political confrontations remained on the agenda: the dismissal of a minister, the ousting of a chancellor and all his government members, or the appointment of a transitional cabinet consisting of civil servants are historically outstanding developments in the history of Austrian politics.

Dr. Thomas Hofer is a political consultant and analyst, formerly an domestic politics editor for the news magazine "profil." Dr. Barbara Tóth, historian and publicist, writes about politics, contemporary history, and society, among other things for the weekly newspaper "Falter." The author team provides well-founded answers to questions such as: What made this election campaign so extraordinary? How were topics created and pushed out of the media? And: What are the consequences of this type of election campaign for the future of democracy in Austria?