Polls Open as Austria Votes in Snap Parliamentary Election
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Austrians were voting in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, four months after the 'Ibiza' video scandal blew up the conservative/far-right coalition formed in 2017.
The country's coalition government collapsed after only 17 months in power with the loss of a vote of confidence for Europe's youngest chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, 33.
The video showed Heinz-Christian Strache, the head of the country's far right Freedom Party and Kurz' coalition partner, attempting to sell off state assets to a fake Russian oligarch.
Since June, the country has been led by a caretaker government.
But voters also appear to be overlooking Kurz' removal. Support for his center-right/conservative Austrian People's Party continues with polls showing them at roughly 34 percent.
Kurz, who cast his vote in front of the cameras on Sunday, looks set to win — but he will still need a coalition partner to secure a majority and it remains unclear whom he will pick.
The election could play out well for Austria's Green party, who lost their parliamentary seats in 2017, but are now polling around 12 percent.
More than six million people are eligible to vote, according to Euronews.
Kurz has said he will talk to all parties after the election if he wins. His two most likely options are either to ally with the FPO again or with the Greens and liberal Neos. A centrist coalition with the Social Democrats is possible but unlikely under their current leadership.