Beer Party Founder Vies To Be Austria's Next President

Vienna, Austria, Sept 29 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Sep, 2022 ) :With his long dark hair and torn jeans, punk rock singer Dominik Wlazny of Austria's Beer Party seems an unlikely candidate for the country's next president.

But that's exactly what the 35-year-old aims to be, as he seeks to shake up a presidential race dominated by politicians mostly backed by more established parties -- several rocked by corruption scandals.

Running against six others, including incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen, Wlazny is the first-ever presidential candidate from the Beer Party, named for its advocacy of the popular beverage.

Wlazny describes his campaign for the October 9 vote as a "David vs Goliath fight", with Van der Bellen widely tipped to clinch a second mandate.

But he's hoping to win some voters over with his party's unconventional approach to politics.

The party's goals include having a fountain in the capital that dispenses beer, saying in a proposal to the city it could "raise the quality of life" for residents and draw tourists.

Wlazny's bare-bones presidential campaign, dubbed "Let's talk about it", pushes for gender equality and animal welfare, among other issues.

His messaging is also unconventional, sending updates via online satirical clips, and Wlazny says his appeal is to anyone who "has a desire for change".

"Beer is a great thing. But actually it's about how you can get involved, and you don't have to be a beer drinker for that," Wlazny, better known by his stage name Marco Pogo, told AFP.