The Austrian Beer party will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections even though it is still far from its funding goal, its leader announced today.

The party, which was founded more as a joke in 2015 by the doctor and rock musician Dominic Blaznyis currently a real threat by depriving other parties of votes, especially those also on the left, at a time when the far right has a clear lead, as shown by polls.

The party participated in the last parliamentary elections in 2019 and secured just 0.1% of the vote, but Blazny came third in the 2022 presidential election with 8.3%. Recent polls show his popularity rate among 5% and 7%.

For a party to enter the parliament, it needs 4%.

“Yes, the Beer Party will be a candidate in the next parliamentary elections. The support we have received is overwhelming. This motivates us to continue,” 37-year-old Blazny said in a statement to the media.

In January, he had said that whether the party would run would depend on whether it raised the necessary funds, which it aimed to do by growing its membership to 20,000 from “about 1,300 active members” at the end of 2023.

He admitted today that he is still a long way from that goal ahead of elections scheduled for October.

“We’ve met more than half of our funding goal. Our glass is half full, so to speak, and it’s always getting fuller,” Blazny said.

The party has previously campaigned on serious issues as well as less serious ones, ranging from improving the public health system to installing beer fountains in Vienna.

In contrast to the loose, radical style he promotes, Blazny’s recent public appearances have been very carefully considered. After his brief announcement today, he did not take questions from reporters.