Far-right troublesThe parliamentary elections were brought about by the “Ibiza-gate” corruption scandal that engulfed Kurzs far-right coalition partner in May, after just 18 months in government together.He has also floated the idea of ruling in a minority government. then there will be a majority against us,” Kurz told supporters at a final rally in Vienna on Saturday. (1500 GMT) when first projections are expected..With a predicted historic low of around 22 pc, the SPOe was neck and neck with the FPOe before the troubles this week as the countrys second strongest party.Climate mattersUnlike in 2017, the top voter concern is not immigration — a welcome topic for Kurz and his former far-right allies — but the climate.It remains to be seen if Kurz, a former law student who has enjoyed a rapid ascent through the ranks in Austrian politics, tries to woo them and another small party, the liberal NEOs, to form a partnership.Prosecutors confirmed Thursday they were investigating Heinz-Christian Strache, who resigned as FPOe leader and vice-chancellor in May because of “Ibiza-gate”, over fraudulent party expense claims.But fresh allegations of wrong-doing have shaken the far-right over the past week.Tens of thousands of people marched Friday in Vienna and other Austrian cities to demand the government fight climate change.Experts have predicted “whizz-kid” Kurz could once again partner up with the Freedom Party (FPOe) in a re-run of the coalition that has been touted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other nationalists as a model for all of Europe.m.Since World War II, either OeVP or SPOe have always governed, and for 44 years in total the two ruled together, but it was Kurz who ended their last partnership, leading to the 2017 polls.They are tipped to garner 13 pc, up 10 percentage points from two years ago.
The FPOes current leader, Norbert Hofer, has said he wont tread “gently” if any wrong-doing is confirmed, leading to worries that supporters of Strache, who led the party for 14 years and remains influential, could stay away from the polls in protest.4 million people eligible to vote, polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.With 6. (0500 GMT). Ultimately, President Alexander Van der Bellen, a former Greens leader, will need to approve any government.The protests were part of global demonstrations led by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and the biggest yet in the Alpine country of 8.The Peoples Party (OeVP) led by 33-year-old Sebastian Kurz is predicted to win around 33 pc, up slightly from the last elections two years ago but not enough to form a majority government.Kurz himself has also warned that left-leaning parties could gain more than predicted and then band together to form a coalition without him.. But this would potentially continue political uncertainty and could even trigger another election.Against this backdrop, Austrias Greens — who failed to get into parliament in 2017 in shock results — look set to make the biggest inroads on Sunday.The OeVP-FPOe government imploded in May when two German media outlets published footage filmed secretly on the Spanish resort island of Ibiza, showing Strache appearing to offer public contracts in exchange for campaign help from a fake Russian backer.m.Kurz has “nothing to win, but a lot BARRIER Factory to lose”, Die Presse daily warned in an editorial on Saturday.Either way, negotiations between parties are expected to take months again.Another option for Kurz could be to form a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPOe).”If there is just a little shift.Unsurprisingly given the reason the election was called, corruption in public life and party financing have also been prominent themes in the campaign, as well as more bread-and-butter issues like social care.”Even with a nice plus on Sunday, it is more difficult for him than in 2017,” it said, adding there was no partner that quite suited any more. They will close by 5 p.8 million inhabitants.Vienna: Austrians began voting Sunday in snap elections, in which the conservatives look set to triumph but face difficulties finding a partner to govern after a corruption scandal brought down their last coalition with the far-right
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