Austria looks set for protracted coalition talks

Significance The party, which has consistently led opinion polls for more than two years, finished 2.6 percentage points (pp) ahead of the centre-right People’s Party (OVP). The OVP, Social Democrats (SPO), and Greens all lost support in this election, while the liberal New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS) made small gains. Impacts The FPO’s victory will push the OVP further to the right, especially on immigration. Should the FPO form part of the next government, it would be more difficult for the EU to achieve unity on Ukraine and Russia. Divisions over economic policy would be much more apparent in a government involving the OVP and SPO.