Far-right Freedom Party set for victory in Austrian election – projection

Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria leaves a polling station in Purkersdorf after casting his vote (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)

The far-right Freedom Party had a lead over the governing conservatives in Austria’s national election on Sunday and was well-placed for its first win in a parliamentary vote, a projection showed. But its chances of governing were unclear.

The projection for ORF public television, based on partial counting, put support for the Freedom Party at 29.1% in the parliamentary election and Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party at 26.3%.