Graz is one of Europe’s only Communist governed cities. How does the Communist Party (KPÖ) manage to stay in favor during a larger shift to the right, and where does it make concessions? Is the ruling coalition doing enough for the environment? What about its position on foreign policy?

Mahsa Ghafari is a human rights activist, actress, presenter, and author. She cofounded the association Flucht nach Vorn and helped organize protest movements such as the Global Women’s Strike. Since 2022, she has been artistic director of the Viennese theater collective Hybrid.

Max Zirngast is a journalist and writer. Between 2015 and 2019, he lived in Ankara, where he was imprisoned in 2018–19 for his political activism. Since 2021, he has been a municipal councilor of the Communist Party (KPÖ) in Graz.