Results show losses for Austrian far-right party

Many voters have abandoned the far-right Freedom Party of Joerg Haider in elections for Vienna's city hall.

The swing to the Socialists suggest growing disenchantment nationwide both with the rightwingers and Mr Haider, their most controversial figure.

Unofficial final results gave the Socialists 46.8% of the vote, more than nine points more than in the last municipal elections five years ago. The Freedom Party remained in second place but lost seven points to a little more than 20.25%.

Third was the centrist People's Party with 16.4%, a slight gain, while the Greens captured 12.45% more than four points more than in 1996.

Leading members of other parties linked the loss of Freedom Party popularity to inflammatory Haider statements criticised as anti-Semitic during the election campaign.

But the results generally seemed to reflect disillusionment with the party's participation and performance in the federal government

With the strongest party favoured in the redistribution of votes of those parties that failed to clear the 5% hurdle needed to get representation, the Socialists gained a controlling majority of 52 seats in the 100-seat assembly.

They now govern in a coalition with the People's Party.

While the vote was restricted to Vienna, results also appeared to reflect a loss in popularity nationwide for Mr Haider's party, continuing a trend. The Freedom Party already lost support in October and December in two provincial elections.

On the national level, the Freedom Party was propelled into the government coalition in February 2000 after winning 29% of the ballot in national elections.