Alf Poier received 106.100 votes for the song Good old Europe is dying in the Austrian national final last Friday. Winner Global Kryner only received 60.900 votes: 45.000 votes less! However, due to a last minute change of the voting procedure which spread the votes over nine Bundesländer and one SMS and mobile vote, Global Kryner gained four points more than Alf Poier.

In absolute numbers, Alf Poier clearly won the Austrian national final Song.null.fünf. His song Good old Europe is dying (106.100 votes) received 45.000 votes more than Y así by Global Kryner (60.900 votes), but since Austrian broadcaster ORF had made a last minute change to the voting procedure for the final, it all turned out differently.

Each of the nine Austrian Bundesländer awarded its points in Eurovision style last Friday. The results included the votes cast by landlines only. All votes cast by mobile phone and SMS were reduced to the value of one Bundesland and formed a 10th 'Bundesland'.

The SMS and mobile votes thus only represented 10% of the final result. In reality and in absolute numbers the SMS and mobile votes however represented 80% of the votes: 270.511 votes by SMS and mobile phone against 66.668 votes by landlines. Alf Poier received 32,87% of the SMS and mobile votes (88.917 votes), Global Kryner only 17,64% (47.718 votes).

“We prefer to be the moral winner rather than winning a cheap victory,” comments Alf Poier's manager. “Global Kryner did not win because of the fans, but because of ORF's last-minute change of the voting system.” Austrian broadcaster ORF had announced two voting rounds. After a first round, each of the five finalists would have proceeded to the second round with the song that received the most votes. Only a couple of days before the final ORF changed the rules into the concept as explained above.