Austrian voters have given the Eurosceptic right-wing Freedom Party (FPO) its first-ever general election victory, according to preliminary results. The FPO, led by Herbert Kickl, secured 28.8% of the vote, surpassing Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ruling liberal-conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), which received 26.3%. The left-wing Social Democrats (SPO) came in third with 21.1%. These results were slightly higher than what final polls had predicted. Kickl expressed his pride in the party’s historic achievement and acknowledged the progress they have made since their establishment in the 1950s.
However, if Kickl fails to form a coalition with another party, it could hinder the FPO’s chances of forming a government. So far, only the OVP has shown openness to working with the FPO but has ruled out collaborating with Kickl specifically. Despite this, Kickl has not indicated any willingness to step aside and allow someone else to lead.
Seat projections suggest that without a third party involved, both OVP and SPO could potentially secure a majority together – an outcome that seemed unlikely for some time.
Kickl has expressed his readiness to engage in discussions with all parties regarding coalition formation. President Alexander Van der Bellen has also urged parties to find common ground during negotiations over the next few weeks.
