Far right looks strong ahead of Austrian election

Significance Austria has been led by a coalition of the centre-right People’s Party (OVP) and Greens since 2019 but it appears this government will be unable to continue after the election. The opposition far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has been leading consistently in the polls since December 2022 and appears in a strong position to form a government. Impacts Growing concerns over security, immigration and terrorism will further boost FPO prospects of winning the vote. Under an FPO-OVP government, efforts to diversify away from Russia in terms of energy and business links will be slower. The persistence of Germany’s economic weakness could damage Austria’s economic outlook.