2008 Austrian legislative election campaign posters


The political parties used numerous campaign posters in the 2008 Austrian legislative election.

Social Democratic Party of Austria

The SPÖ announced on 30 July 2008 that it would put up the first election posters on 3 August 2008; they featured a picture of Faymann, his name and the words "Enough bickering.", thus criticising the grand coalition's lack of agreement on fundamental issues, which the SPÖ attributes to the ÖVP's refusal to accept that the ÖVP lost the 2006 election. The poster was attacked by ÖVP, who claimed that the SPÖ was responsible for the disputes in the coalition, and the smaller parties, who feared a costly election campaign due to the early start of the campaign. A second poster was presented at the federal party conference on 8 August 2008, which also prominently featured Faymann, but had no thematic content. A third poster was presented on 29 August 2008, when the SPÖ officially started its election campaign in the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna; it emphasised Faymann's personal qualities.
The text of the SPÖ election posters was:
;First wave
  • "Enough bickering."
;Second wave
  • "Faymann. The new choice."
;Third wave
  • "Caring. Determined. Reliable. – Faymann. The new choice."
On 22 August 2008, the day of the TV debate between Strache and Haider, the SPÖ put up online advertisements pointing to the time of the TV debate and calling it "two good reasons to vote for Faymann: today, 21:15 ORF2". Furthermore, the SPÖ-affiliated Socialist Youth Austria on 27 August 2008 presented an election campaign calling for an end to the majority of the right in parliament and for preventing an ÖVP–FPÖ–BZÖ coalition.

Austrian People's Party

The ÖVP presented its first wave of election posters on 5 August 2008. Unlike the SPÖ's posters, they didn't feature Molterer; what the three subjects have in common are the words Molterer used to break up the grand coalition, "That's enough!" and the words "A new start instead of stalemate". The different posters call for doubling home care subsidies, stricter immigration controls and doubling family subsidies in September to help families with children in education. The SPÖ refused to comment on these posters, the Greens were horrified that it was neither the FPÖ nor the BZÖ but the ÖVP which first brought an anti-immigrant tone into the election campaign and both FPÖ and BZÖ considered it proof that the ÖVP did not consider Molterer to be charismatic enough to win the election. A second wave of election posters with new thematic priorities was officially presented on 26 August 2008; one of the posters called for harsher punishments for child abusers and showed two judges about to hand down a judgment, in a change from the nonpictorial earlier election posters. SPÖ justice minister Maria Berger strongly criticised the ÖVP for trying to influence decisions in the court room through the election campaign, and the judges' association also strongly criticised the election poster's intent. The ÖVP officially started its election campaign on 5 September 2008 in the Helmut-List-Halle in Graz. The third and last wave of two election posters prominently featuring Molterer and the slogan "The better choice." was presented on 10 September 2008; furthermore, the ÖVP in September 2008 employed criticising the SPÖ for the cost of its campaign promises and for not keeping them after the 2006 election.
The text of the ÖVP election posters was:
;First wave
  • "An end to saving books checkup: Double home care subsidies! – for 24-hour care"
  • "Who lives with us has to learn our language. No immigration without German lessons. – no rights without obligations"
  • "Families need help against inflation! Double family subsidies each September. – for all in education"
;Second wave
  • "We protect victims, not perpetrators: Full sharpness of the law for child abuse."
  • "We make sure that performance pays off: Taxes down!"
  • "We produce relief for families: Last year of kindergarten free of charge."
;Third wave
  • "Keeps his word"
  • "Provides security"
The Viennese ÖVP put up election posters on 6 August 2008 which consisted only of white text before a red background criticising Faymann for "just smiling, as always" while the SPÖ Vienna "prevented free of charge kindergartens" and "cashed up without hesitation: in housing costs, parking fees, waste disposal fees...". The Young People's Party presented a website attacking Faymann on 28 August 2008.

The Greens – The Green Alternative

The Greens' first slogan was "Not on my watch". The first wave of posters was presented on 13 August 2008; they prominently feature Van der Bellen and slogans which criticise the other parties, as well as a circular logo containing "vdb 08". In addition, a second wave of posters was put up starting with 3 September 2008; the second wave featured positive slogans highlighting four demands of the Greens regarding taxes, human rights, measures against the rising prices and equal opportunities. Half the posters featured the Greens' deputy leader Eva Glawischnig instead of Van der Bellen; the common slogan was "when, if not now!". The Greens officially started their election campaign on 10 September 2008 in the Architekturzentrum Wien in Vienna. The Greens also held a contest for proposed election posters from the internet community; the four winning designs were put up as actual election posters on triangle stands from 8 September 2008 onwards.
The text of the Green election posters was:
;First wave
  • "blockade? not on my watch"
  • "permanent bickering? not on my watch"
  • "agitation? not on my watch"
  • "caving in? not on my watch"
;Second wave
  • "when, if not now! – half heating costs – out with oil and gas"
  • "when, if not now! – equal opportunities, equal money – right of way for women"
  • "when, if not now! – defend human rights – stop scare tactics"
  • "when, if not now! – tax the rich – relieve the middle ground"

Freedom Party of Austria

The FPÖ presented its first wave of election posters on 7 August 2008; they consisted of one big election poster and four to be put on triangle stands ; two of them prominently featured FPÖ leader Strache, and all of them depicted an eagle giving a thumbs up. The main slogan was "They are against HIM. Because HE is for YOU.", and the slogan on the three other posters was "WE for YOU – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ HC Strache". The other slogans were rhymed and endeavoured to be witty, similar to the 2006 election campaign; one of them featured a prominent spelling mistake, which was corrected later in the day. The FPÖ officially started its election campaign on 29 August 2008 on the Hauptplatz in Linz; a second wave of posters was put up in early September, which consisted of one poster featuring Strache before an Austrian flag and two smaller triangle stand posters.
The text of the FPÖ election posters was:
;First wave
  • "Social security for our people – They are against HIM. Because HE is for YOU."
  • "Income to get along with – They are against HIM. Because HE is for YOU."
  • "Asylum fraud means flight back home – WE for YOU – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ HC Strache."
  • "Representatives of the people instead of EU traitors – WE for YOU – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ HC Strache."
  • "Homeland needs middle class – WE for YOU – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ HC Strache."
;Second wave
  • "Now it is about US AUSTRIANS – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ · HC Strache"
  • "Social instead of socialist – Now it is about US AUSTRIANS – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ · HC Strache"
  • "Our land for our children – Now it is about US AUSTRIANS – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ · HC Strache"
  • "Reliability instead of THERE & GONE again – Now it is about US AUSTRIANS – Therefore ⊗ FPÖ · HC Strache"

Alliance for the Future of Austria

The BZÖ presented its election posters on 27 August 2008; the three posters prominently featured party leader Haider in different postures which are meant to emphasise his image as a man of the people, the claim that he was "the original" and a stylised Austrian flag at the bottom of the posters. The posters will be put up on 1 September 2008. The BZÖ officially started its election campaign on 30 August 2008 in the Stadthalle Graz.
The text of the BZÖ election posters was:
  • "To go the social way! For your sake. Austria. – Jörg Haider's List – The Original! ⊗"
  • "Austria for Austrians! For your sake. – Jörg Haider's List – The Original! ⊗"
  • "To roll up one's sleeves and tackle problems! For your sake. Austria. – Jörg Haider's List – The Original! ⊗"

Liberal Forum

The LIF presented its first election poster on 22 August 2008, which featured Schmidt and called for a three-party coalition as the next government; the LIF stated it would prefer an SPÖ–Greens–LIF or ÖVP–Greens–LIF coalition and that it would not work together with the FPÖ and the BZÖ. Further waves of election posters are planned. The LIF officially started its election campaign on 4 September 2008 in the Palmenhaus in the Viennese Burggarten. On 11 September 2008, the LIF presented a second wave of four election posters only to be put up on triangle stands; they shared a common design and image and the text "for fairness" and differed only in what the LIF stated it was against.
The text of the LIF election poster was:
;First wave
  • "Honesty. Openness. Fairness. Now that would be three-party coalition for the next government! – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"
;Second wave
  • "For fairness. Against scare tactics. – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"
  • "For fairness. Against exclusion. – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"
  • "For fairness. Against taking people for fools. – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"
  • "For fairness. Against populism. – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"
  • "For fairness. Against stalemate. – Heide Schmidt: fairness into government"

Citizens' Forum Austria

The FRITZ started its election campaign on 5 September 2008 on the Freiheitsplatz in Graz. On 15 September 2008, it presented an election poster which was put up in Vienna only.
  • "fritz for a fair austria!"

Other parties

The KPÖ started its election campaign on 5 September 2008. Its posters had two different subjects, both of which were only presented on triangle stands:
  • "Left. For sure."
  • "For redistribution. For equal rights. Solidary. For sure."
Save Austria's slogan was "We citizens now vote for ourselves!". They had an election budget of €100,000.
The Christians started their election campaign on 5 September 2008. They stated they could not afford election posters and widespread advertisements and that they would employ less costly ways of advertising for the election. Their slogan was "Strong families. Strong country.". They refused to announce their election budgets and stated they considered employing newspaper advertisements and election posters in the final phase of the campaign.
The Christians had a triangle stand poster :
  • "Strong families. Strong country. – On 28 September: The Christians ⊗"