Austrians are disenchanted with the two main parties
Austria’s Social Democrats won the most votes inthe country’s early election but far-right parties made significantgains, the interior ministry has said.
Preliminary official results from Sunday’s poll show Social Democrats with 29.7% of the vote.
But the country’s two far-right parties made large gains, winning a total vote share of 29% between them.
The BBC’s Bethany Bell in Vienna said that rise in support is the result of protest votes on a variety of issues.
The far-right showing was its strongest since 2000, when the FreedomParty won 28% and gained a place in the coalition government with theconservatives.
That development sparked outrage across Europe and for several months Austria was placed under EU sanctions (In spite of the fact the election results were fair and efficiently conducted. — Ed.).
Analysts say the far right could now re-enter government but only after all other options are exhausted.