dpa
Vienna
In Austria’s eastern state of Burgenland, the Social Democrats (SPÖ) have won a clear election victory but are likely to lose their absolute majority in the state parliament, according to projections on Sunday from public broadcaster ORF.
The SPÖ claimed 46.5% of the vote in the easternmost Austrian state, a decline of 3.4 percentage points compared to the previous elections in 2020.
According to the projection, the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which is poised to lead the next national government, more than doubled its share of the vote to 23%.
The centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) lost considerable support from voters and came in at around 22%.
The result is seen as a success for Burgenland’s incumbent state premier, Hans Peter Doskozil of the SPÖ. Within the centre-left party, Doskozil is seen as the main rival of national SPÖ leader Andreas Babler. He has also drawn attention for backing tax-funded musical instruments and skis for schoolchildren.
