Poor Result For Main Parties In State Election As Right-Wing FPO Gains

Austria's largest state with the highest number of registered voters, Lower Austria, held its regional election on 29 January, with the incumbent centre-right People's Party (OVP) losing its majority and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) also losing ground. The main beneficiary is the right-wing nationalist Freedom Party (FPO), which overtook the SPO into second place and is currently leading opinion polling at the federal level.

• The losses for the OVP came despite last-minute efforts by Chancellor Karl Nehammer to present a hard-line on immigration issues by vetoing the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. The SPO's poor result (losing support from 2017 despite being in opposition) will come as a major blow to party head Pamela Rendi-Wagner, who is already seen as vulnerable. The FPO is taking voters from both the centre-right and centre-left.
• The next federal election is not due until autumn 2024 at the latest, but should the FPO emerge as the largest party is could result in a political crisis. President Alexander van der Bellen has hinted that he may be inclined not to give the mandate to form a gov't to the FPO, even if they are the largest party post-election, stating the FPO is 'anti-European' and pro-Russian.