Elke Kahr's Communist Governance in Graz: A Model for Leftist Politics?

Elke Kahr, the Communist mayor of Graz, Austria, has been re-elected in June 2024, leading the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) as the strongest party in the city since 2021. Her success is attributed to a pragmatic governance style focused on tangible results: building 500 municipal apartments, purchasing modern trams, expanding forest areas, and creating parks. The KPÖ's unique policy includes a salary cap for its politicians, in place for 27 years, which has redirected over 1.3 million euros from the mayor's salary to those in need. This approach contrasts with other leftist parties, raising questions about the essence of communism in practice. The article, written by Michael Angele, also touches on other topics such as ME/CFS and Long Covid in children, Matthias Lilienthal's free swimming pool project at the Berlin Volksbühne, Fabio De Masi's book on financial crime, and analysis of escalation risks in the Ukraine war.