The People’s Party (OeVP), rebooted by Kurz as a more hardline “movement”, was projected to have won 31.7% of Sunday’s vote, with final results expected later this week. In second place were the Social Democrats (SPOe) of incumbent Chancellor Christian Kern on 26.9%, closely followed by the eurosceptic Freedom Party (FPOe) on 26.0%. Kurz, 31, forced the snap vote after becoming OeVP chief in May and ending the acrimonious decade-long coalition with the SPOe. The FPOe meanwhile wants EU sanctions on Moscow lifted and pushes for closer ties with eastern and central European countries. But for EU Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn, an Austrian from Kurz’s party, the ballot “does not mean Austria is moving to the right”.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 16, 2017 14:03 UTC