Austrian FPÖ poised for triumph in European polls
The polls in Austria are closing at 5 pm. Preliminary results indicate that the FPO, with its anti-EU stance, is poised for a win. The SPO, on the other hand, is seeing a significant drop in approval. The Greens, whose controversial top candidate Lena Schilling was at the center of a character debate, are also struggling to garner support.
The FPO's triumph in the European elections is becoming clear, with the party leading with a 27% share of the votes, as per the trend forecasts published when the polling stations closed. This is an increase of approximately 10 percentage points from the 2019 election. The party had campaigned with the slogan "Stop EU madness," voicing its skepticism of the EU and portraying it as a war-mongering force in the Ukraine conflict.
The SPO and ÖVP are estimated to have around 23% each, with the ÖVP suffering a loss of over 10 percentage points compared to the previous election. The SPO's performance remains relatively stable, with its share staying almost the same as in 2019.
Enthusiasm for the Greens' candidate, young climate activist Lena Schilling, didn't translate into votes. The party is projected to lose around 4% of their support, with their total share standing at around 10%. The NEOS liberals are expected to make slight inroads and hit the 10% mark.
Overall, Austria will send 20 of the 720 MEPs to the European Parliament. The election's outcome is also being viewed as a precursor to the National Council vote this fall. Based on current surveys, the FPO is the favorite to emerge triumphant. The trend forecast was released by the news agency APA, the public broadcaster ORF, and private broadcaster Puls24. It is derived from polling booth surveys carried out by the Foresight, Arge Wahlen, and Peter Hajek institutes.
