(ANSA-AFP) - VIENNA, SEP 28 - Austria's general election on
Sunday is shaping up to be a close race which could see the
far-right Freedom Party win for the first time, beating the
ruling conservatives. In line with other European far-right
parties, the radical FPOe has seen its popularity surge in
recent months. The Freedom Party (FPOe) has been part of past
Austrian coalitions, but it may not find partners to lead a
government, even if it comes first on Sunday. "It is a time of
change. In the past years the FPOe has never been that strong,"
Johanna Irrenfried, 32, an orthoptist from Vienna, told AFP.
Cementing the FPOe's image as an anti-establishment party, its
leader Herbert Kickl has campaigned on slogans such as:
"Courageously try something new" and fed on voter anger over
migration, inflation and Covid restrictions. But conservative
Chancellor Karl Nehammer has closed the gap in recent weeks,
with his People's Party (OeVP) currently at 25 percent support
in opinion polls, just behind the FPOe on 27 percent.
(ANSA-AFP).
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