Austria's Beer Party gaining national prominence after election success

The announcement by punk rock singer Dominik Wlazny to run for the president’s office came as a surprise for everyone in the country. What made the campaign even more interesting was the name of his political outfit – Beer Party – and the promise of free beer to all his supporters in the campaign.

However, in a major upset, the founder of the Beer Party came third in the election that ended on October 9. In Vienna, the result was better as he ended up in the second position.

With a bit less than 11 per cent of total votes in Vienna, Wlazny was nowhere close to challenging the incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen. However, the media coverage has made his principle of “do it yourself” popular all around the country as the party’s popularity has grown over time.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"I am extremely satisfied with the result. We have a very small team compared to other parties. The budget for this election campaign was very small. I was only able to put up nine large posters in the whole of Vienna," Wlazny told the local media after the election results were announced.

"But I could make videos to spread my ideas all over the world. And the result is extremely good. I don't have a parliamentary party behind me either, we are doing all this on our own," he added.

Wlazny, who is also a practicing doctor, formed the party back in 2015 as a joke but his arguments for preserving the culture and heritage of the country ended up gaining popularity.

"Whether in beer or in politics, new ideas must be heard. And it is only through novelty and fresh influences that something good can be born," Wlazny said.

"And from this point of view, I see my candidacy as an incentive for the country to think about."