Austrian voters handed the first victory in the general elections to the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) this Sunday (29), electoral projections showed, underlining the growing support for far-right parties in Europe, fueled by concern about immigration levels.
“The old coalition has been eliminated, the Blacks and the Greens have been punished and now we can look to a beautiful, bright blue future,” said FPO general secretary Christian Hafenecker after the first exit polls in Vienna.
The eurosceptic and close to Russia FPO maintained a small lead in opinion polls over Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP) for months in a campaign dominated by immigration and concerns about the economy.
An FPO victory would make Austria the last EU country to record emerging far-right support, following gains in countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany.
The FPO, which criticizes Islam and promises tougher rules for asylum seekers, won a national vote for the first time in June when it defeated the OVP in European elections.
The OVP, which like the FPO supports stricter immigration rules and tax cuts, is the only party open to forming a coalition with the far-right party. However, Nehammer says his party will not join a government with Kickl.
This content was originally published in Austrian far-right wins elections for the first time, projections show on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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