The far-right party received the most votes in the election with 28.9% of the vote
The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won the election held in Austria on September 29, 2024. However, movement leader Herbert Kickl did not find allies willing to cooperate to form a government.
President Alexander Van der Bellen thus tasked Karl Nehammer, the outgoing chancellor and leader of the People’s Party (ÖVP), to form a new government, openly asking him to work in alliance with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) to guarantee the country’s stability.
In the September 29 elections, the FPÖ received 28.9% of the vote, an unprecedented result for a formation that peaked at 38.7% in Carinthia and 32.7% in Styria. But these numbers are not enough to govern, so given the refusal of other political forces to support the Kikl government, the ball goes to the ÖVP, which received 26.3% of the vote, and to a third force, the SPÖ, which received 21.1%.
In any case, the People’s Party and the Social Democrats will have a weak majority of 92 deputies out of 183 seats, so it cannot be ruled out that other sources will be sought for a coalition government. In the previous legislature, Nehammer ruled with the Greens, who were the fourth force in this election with 8.2% of the vote. The NEOS Liberals were more successful than them with 9.1% and will now for the first time participate in election.