VIENNA – Austrians will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) within reach of a historic victory.
Polling stations opened around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), and projections are expected shortly after polls close at 5 p.m., with final results coming in over the next few hours.
For months, the FPO led opinion polls through triggering public concerns over several issues, immigration in particular. Accordingly, Chancellor Karl Nehammer from the ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), have worked to portray his rival Herbert Kickl as a “toxic menace.”
With the two parties being put neck and neck to win the elections, both of them will fall short of an absolute majority according to the polls, yet the winner will have the right to lead a coalition government.
An FPO win would align Austria with other EU nations experiencing the rise of far-right ideology, including the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Notably, the Eurosceptic party achieved its first national electoral victory in June, narrowly beating the OVP in European elections.
The OVP, which also supports tougher immigration policies and tax cuts, is the only party willing to form a coalition with the far-right. However, Nehammer has stated that his party will not join a government with Kickl in it.
