Austrian parliamentary elections
The two parties that currently form Austria’s grand coalition government – the centre-left SPÖ and the centre-right ÖVP – came out top in yesterday’s parliamentary elections with 27.1% and 23.8% of the vote respectively, although the results are a historic low for both parties. Populist, anti-euro parties did well with the Freedom Party (FPÖ) winning 21.4%, Team Stronach winning 5.8%, and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) winning 3.6% – a combined vote share of 30.8%, although the BZÖ did not meet the 4% threshold necessary to secure parliamentary seats. Other parties to win seats include the Greens on 11.5% and the new liberal NEOS party on 4.8%. Turnout was 66%, well below the 79% recorded in 2008.
Πηγές:
• Verluste für SPÖ und ÖVP – Rechtspopulisten gestärkt
• Rot-Schwarz hält Mehrheit, Neos kommen ins Parlament
• A stark warning for the eurozone: almost one third of Austrians could vote for anti-euro parties
