The next general election in Austria will take place on 29th September, at the conclusion of the present five-year parliament, it was announced by Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Tuesday.
Polls indicate that the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) holds a significant lead over its competitors, capitalising on voter dissatisfaction with the ruling coalition of Nehammer's conservatives and the Greens, Reuters reports.
This discontent has been driven by a series of crises, including the pandemic and inflation rates being significantly higher than the eurozone average.
The anti-immigration FPO secured its first victory in the European elections in Austria on Sunday, although the margin was less than one percentage point over Nehammer's People's Party (OVP) and narrower than what polls and an election-night forecast had anticipated.
“At tomorrow's cabinet meeting, Sept. 29 will be set as the date of the National Council elections,” Nehammer said on X, in reference to the lower house.
Austria's brief one-month campaign will feature centrist parties confronting the far-right, echoing the clash of values described by French President Emmanuel Macron in an address on Sunday.
Macron announced the dissolution of parliament and called for a snap election due to a rise in support for the far-right.
“I can promise voters that I have understood the message,” Nehammer told reporters on Sunday night when it became evident the FPO had won the European parliamentary election. “There is a great deal of dissatisfaction that was visible today.”
Given the likelihood of losing seats in any snap election, Nehammer's OVP and the Greens were essentially compelled to collaborate until the end of this parliamentary term.
This was despite disagreements on significant matters such as immigration and recurrent speculation about the possibility of a snap election.
Recent developments saw the fading of such speculation, with the expectation becoming widespread that parliament would continue its course.
This was particularly noteworthy given Austria's history of coalition collapses and the fact that the Greens had previously compelled Nehammer's predecessor, Sebastian Kurz, to step down from office due to a corruption scandal in 2021.
Polls for the parliamentary election indicate that the FPO is polling at approximately 30%, while the OVP and the opposition Social Democrats are vying for second place, with around 20% each.
However, forming a coalition might pose challenges as the leaders of all five parliamentary parties have rejected the possibility of forming a coalition with FPO leader Herbert Kickl.
“Today we have taken the first step. Now we have stay fully focused and launch the second phase, and the second phase is (securing) the chancellor's office,” Kickl said to members of his party on Sunday night.