Far right wins Austria election, boosting European right-wing surge

FILE PHOTO: Head of Freedom Party (FPOe) Herbert Kickl attends their final election rally in Vienna, Austria, September 27, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian voters handed a first-ever general election victory to the far-right Freedom Party on Sunday, preliminary results showed, illustrating rising support for hard-right parties in Europe fueled by concern over immigration levels.

The Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO held a slim lead in opinion polls for months over Chancellor Karl Nehammer's ruling conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) in a campaign dominated by immigration and worries about the economy.