Austrian voters have granted the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) its first general election victory on Sunday, September 29.
Led by Herbert Kickl, early projections show the Freedom Party (FPO) receiving 29.2% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the conservative People’s Party (OVP) with 26.3%, though still short of a majority, as per Reuters.
While, the FPO will not have an outright majority, they will be in a position to form a coalition government.
However, Kickl’s leadership may complicate coalition-building, as other party leaders have declined to collaborate with him.
He has not shown any willingness to step back to facilitate his party’s leadership in the government.
The election focused on key issues like migration, asylum, inflation, and the war in Ukraine.
About 6.3 million Austrians were eligible to vote.
The Freedom Party is expected to win 57 seats in the 183-member parliament, while the People’s Party is projected to get 51 seats and the Social Democrats 40.
Kickl has promised to create a “Fortress Austria” and restore security, prosperity, and peace.
