Austrian political parties wound up their campaigns on Friday evening, before a parliamentary election on Sunday which Sebastian Kurz’s conservatives are tipped to win.
Sunday’s vote is being held in the wake of a video sting scandal in May that felled far-right leader and Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and blew up his coalition with Kurz’s party. Prosecutors said on Thursday they are investigating Strache, one of his former bodyguards and the former head of his office on suspicion of fraud.
The prosecutors’ announcement followed media reports that the FPO funded a lavish lifestyle for Strache and his wife, who is an FPO candidate in this election.
Kurz has emerged largely unscathed and polls suggest his conservatives have even siphoned off voters from the far right.
He will, however, again need a partner to gain a majority in parliament. His most likely choices are a three-way coalition with the Greens and the liberal, pro-business Neos, or reviving his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO).
FPO has slid to around 20% from 26% in the last election in 2017 in the wake of the scandal. The OVP’s has risen to around 34% from 31.5%.
Sebastian Kurz, leader of Austrian People’s Party (Oevp) and candidate for the upcoming Austrian federal elections, delivers a speech during an Oevp election campaign event for the Austrian federal elections in Vienna, Austria, 27 September 2019. The Austrian federal elections will take place on 29 September 2019. EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI
