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Last update - 20:52 28/09/2008
One-third of Austrians vote for extreme right in parliamentary elections
By Reuters
Tags: Far-right, Israel News 

The far right surged to almost a third of the vote in Austria's parliamentary election on Sunday, complicating prospects for the biggest mainstream party, the Social Democrats, to forge a stable governing coalition.

The far right's showing heralded political instability in the affluent Alpine republic since the two main centrist parties will be hard put to re-establish a broad coalition even if they resolved the feuds that killed off their last one.

"Terrible," political analyst Anton Pelinka said of prospects for stable government in the near future.
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"The strength of the far-right parties will make formation of a coalition incredibly difficult if you don't bring either into government," he told Reuters.

Both main parties had ruled out such an alliance unless the rightists relax anti-immigrant and anti-European Union stances.

Initial projections based on the already counted 40 percent of the votes cast and considered highly accurate put the Social Democrats at 29 percent and the Peoples Party at 25 percent, down from 35 and 34 percent respectively in 2006.

Heinz-Christian Strache's anti-foreigner Freedom Party was on target for 18 percent, compared with 11 percent two years ago, and Joerg Haider's right-wing populist Alliance for Austria's Future was on 12 percent, triple its showing in 2006.

The two parties were once one, before a bitter split in 2005. Strache and Haider continued vitriolic attacks on each other during the campaign, leaving it unclear whether they might now cooperate to help claim a share of governing power.

A throaty roar filled the air in Freedom's election tent in Vienna when the results flashed on a screen, with the crowd - mainly young and middle-aged men drinking beer - punching the air and shouting "bravo".

"Freedom is the only party that tells it like it is, and they know about financial issues," said Martin Marik, 33.

The environmentalist Greens were seen slipping to 10 percent from 11 percent, according to the early projections provided by Austrian state broadcaster ORF and national news agency APA.

The Social Democrats, by retaining their position as the largest single party, are however expected to be asked by Austria's president to form the next government.

Rightist appeal grows

Far-right Freedom and the somewhat more moderate Alliance benefited from the campaign's two most telegenic leaders, protest sentiment against the dysfunctional outgoing coalition and popular anti-inflation proposals.

A broad coalition formed by the two mainstream parties collapsed in July after 18 months of deadlock that blocked promised reforms and alienated many Austrians.

"The biggest winner is collectively the radical right ... but that doesn't mean they can come together in a political partnership," said Richard Luther, an expert on Austria at Keele University in Britain.

"I think a grand coalition (of the two biggest parties) is still the most likely, [but] it would be relatively weak in terms of its legitimacy," said Luther.

Pelinka said the conservatives might go tactically into opposition and wait for the Social Democrats to fail to form another ruling alliance. "But where would they begin?" he said.

Faymann ruled out a coalition with Freedom, best known for its campaigns against immigrants and Islam, while a hook-up with the more palatable Greens would fall well short of a majority.

Strache's increased stress on tax breaks and anti-inflation subsidies, together with Haider's renunciation of rabble-rousing rhetoric in favor of a statesman-like openness to coalitions with anyone, cut into both main parties' support.

Freedom's first junior role in government so repelled the EU in 2000 that it briefly imposed sanctions on Austria. Strache wants to be interior minister and put a stop to immigration.
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  1.   Come on, Israel, if you can take Likud, you can easily..... 23:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/09/08
  2.   Austria 23:15  |  Chris 28/09/08
  3.   Haider`s parents were memers of the Nazi party 23:38  |  Jewish 28/09/08
  4.   Austria misses Hitler & Nazism 23:44  |  Israeli 28/09/08
  5.   Gog and Magog war is rapidly approaching 23:54  |  out of control 28/09/08
  6.   @# 1 & 2 00:08  |  Chris 29/09/08
  7.   The people have spoken 00:52  |  Kevin 29/09/08
  8.   They had not much choice 00:52  |  Fritz T. 29/09/08
  9.   Bulldoze the viennese breweries and sausage factories! 01:44  |  Buick from Boca 29/09/08
  10.   Swiss dio - Dont be ridiculous 02:12  |  Free Gilad Shalit 29/09/08
  11.   70% did NOT vote for him 02:21  |  judith 29/09/08
  12.   So now people oposing islamisation of Austria are right wingers? 05:16  |  Karl 29/09/08
  13.   many of you seem not to be aware of what this is really about... 16:10  |  Imre 29/09/08
  14.   #1 Swiss Dino: That goes both ways, n`est ce pas? 23:24  |  azazel 29/09/08
  15.   Electorate against government 01:02  |  Manuel 30/09/08
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