Austria’s Far Right Triumphs in General Election Projections by Reuters

Austria’s Freedom Party Wins General Election

VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO) secured victory in Sunday’s general election, positioning the far-right group to potentially form a coalition government for the first time since World War II, according to projections. However, it’s uncertain whether they will be able to find a suitable coalition partner.

Under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, the FPO garnered 29.1% of the vote, surpassing Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party (OVP), which received 26.2%, and the centre-left Social Democrats at 20.4%, as indicated by projections from pollster Foresight shortly after polls closed.

Should this result be confirmed, Kickl’s triumph could be bittersweet, as he is a divisive leader and has faced reluctance from other party heads to collaborate with him. So far, he has shown no willingness to step aside in order to facilitate his party’s governance.