Foreign Minister Kurz propelled his People’s Party (OVP) to the top of opinion polls when he became leader in May, dislodging the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) that had held first place for more than a year. If Kurz’s OVP wins, the FPO would still have a good chance of entering government for the first time in more than a decade. Austria also took in roughly 1% of its population in asylum seekers in 2015, one of the highest proportions on the continent. The FPO, by contrast, has been in Austria’s parliament for decades and currently holds a fifth of seats there. His opponents say he is merely a new face on a party in power in various coalitions for 30 years.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 15, 2017 13:18 UTC