VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO) won Sunday’s general election, putting the far-right group in pole position to form a coalition for the first time since World War Two, projections showed, though it is by no means sure to find a partner.
Led by Herbert Kickl, the FPO secured 29.1% of the vote, ahead of Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party (OVP) on 26.2% and the centre-left Social Democrats on 20.4%, a projection by pollster Foresight for broadcaster ORF showed soon after polls closed at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT).
If confirmed, Kickl’s victory may prove pyrrhic, as the 55-year-old is a polarising figure under whom other party leaders have refused to serve. He has given no indication so far he could step aside to ensure his party leads the government.
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Francois Murphy)
