Carinthian Slovenian elected to state assembly

Franc Jožef Smrtnik, a member of the Slovenian ethnic minority in the Austrian province of Carinthia, made it to the 36-member state assembly in the 5 March local election. He ran for Team Kärnten. So far, Carinthian Slovenian Ana Blatnik from the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) has served as an assembly member.

Smrtnik, the former mayor of Železna Kapla/Eisenkappel, told the minority weekly Novice that Team Kärnten had accomplished an exceptional feat. He praised the leader of the list, Gerhard Köfer, for giving a Carinthian Slovenian the opportunity to enter the state assembly.

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