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| Austria election results: Far-right set to enter government as conservatives top poll | Austria election results: Far-right set to enter government as conservatives top poll |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Austria's far-right is on course to take a place in the country's government after a strong showing in Sunday's parliamentary elections. | Austria's far-right is on course to take a place in the country's government after a strong showing in Sunday's parliamentary elections. |
| The country's main conservative party, led by current foreign minister Sebastian Kurz, topped the poll with over 30 per cent of the vote, but is expected to seek a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which is posting one of its strongest showing on record. | The country's main conservative party, led by current foreign minister Sebastian Kurz, topped the poll with over 30 per cent of the vote, but is expected to seek a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which is posting one of its strongest showing on record. |
| Austrian politics appears to have shifted strongly to the right, with early projections showing the conservative OVP up nearly eight per cent and the far-right FPO up around five per cent. | Austrian politics appears to have shifted strongly to the right, with early projections showing the conservative OVP up nearly eight per cent and the far-right FPO up around five per cent. |
| The Social Democrats (SPO), which has also not ruled out an alliance with the far-right, seems to have narrowly clinched second place with around 27 per cent of the vote – narrowly ahead of the far-right. The FPO is likely to be a kingmaker in the election, choosing between the two first and second placed parties. | |
| Despite coming second, the SPO's result seems to have been its worst since the Second World War. | Despite coming second, the SPO's result seems to have been its worst since the Second World War. |
| According to projections the Greens have failed to reach the 4 per cent threshold to enter the parliament, meaning they will get zero MPs – despite one of their members, Alexander Van der Bellen, being elected president in a vote last year. | |
| The last time the FPO entered government in the year 2000, other EU states briefly imposed diplomatic sanctions on Austria with the aim of forcing the extremists from government. | The last time the FPO entered government in the year 2000, other EU states briefly imposed diplomatic sanctions on Austria with the aim of forcing the extremists from government. |
| The sanctions were short-lived, however, after warnings that they could be counter-productive and stoke up nationalist sentiment in the country. | |
| Incomplete results show the FPO slightly lagging its highest ever vote share of 26.9 per cent, obtained in 1999's elections. | Incomplete results show the FPO slightly lagging its highest ever vote share of 26.9 per cent, obtained in 1999's elections. |
| Sebastian Kurz, who is just 31 years old, declared victory on Sunday night and is likely to be the new Chancellor – the youngest national leader in the developed world. | Sebastian Kurz, who is just 31 years old, declared victory on Sunday night and is likely to be the new Chancellor – the youngest national leader in the developed world. |
| Though Mr Kurz could join a coalition with the social democrats, who his party is currently cooperating with, this seems unlikely due to the acrimonious nature of the parties' current relationship in power. | |
| Final results are not expected until later in the week, though provisional results have been rolling in since polls closed on Sunday evening. | Final results are not expected until later in the week, though provisional results have been rolling in since polls closed on Sunday evening. |
| Both the OVP and FPO have called for tightening Austria's borders and quick deportations for rejected asylum seekers. | Both the OVP and FPO have called for tightening Austria's borders and quick deportations for rejected asylum seekers. |
| At the start of this year the FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache claimed Austria was being “Islamified” and called for a ban on what he referred to as “fascistic Islam” – including Muslim symbols. | At the start of this year the FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache claimed Austria was being “Islamified” and called for a ban on what he referred to as “fascistic Islam” – including Muslim symbols. |
| Echoing the far-right in Germany, the FPO has campaigned against the grand coalition government of the centre-right and centre-left, with posters bearing the slogan “the red-black coalition is the big problem” portraying it as a political stitch-up. | |
| The FPO led in the polls for a period before the election campaign but fell to a close third place after Mr Kurz's party tacked hard to the right to take some of its voters. | The FPO led in the polls for a period before the election campaign but fell to a close third place after Mr Kurz's party tacked hard to the right to take some of its voters. |