Austria also stands for right-wing populists like Jörg Haider or Heinz Christian Strache. But left-wing politicians are currently celebrating amazing successes here. Now Kay-Michael Dankl, a communist, could even become the city boss of Salzburg.
Kay-Michael Dankl basically speeds through the venerable baroque city on a simple bicycle, which he may soon preside over as mayor. The 35-year-old impresses with the downright charm of a confidant and, with his friendly, well, middle-class demeanor, has achieved the impossible: slipping a bit to the left in Austria’s conservative state of Salzburg.
In the first round of voting he was only slightly behind the SPÖ candidate. Now, in the runoff election, he is hoping for first place. “Nobody has to be afraid of us,” says Dankl in a gently accentuated voice during the conversation. “Except perhaps for speculators and investors who are turning housing, the basic need of every human being, into a goldmine.”