Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) has opened the door to a new era, its leader Herbert Kickl has told supporters, as they celebrated an unprecedented election victory. Kickl's party won 28.9% of the vote according to official tallies - almost three points ahead of the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) on 26.3%, but far short of a majority.

The result of last Sunday's Austrian parliamentary elections followed the same pattern as the 2022 elections in Italy, 2023 in the Netherlands and 2024 in the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg.

It finished ahead of the governing conservatives Sunday after tapping into anxieties about immigration, inflation, Ukraine and other issues.

Freedom Party (FPO). The party gained 29% of the vote, its best result to date. Founded by SS Major General Anton Reinthaller in 1956, the party has long been climbing into the country's mainstream, taking part in three right-wing governments as a junior coalition partner,

Austria's far-right has gained its first electoral win since WW2, as the Freedom Party has won parliamentary elections.

The far-right Freedom Party's historic victory in an Austrian parliamentary election has left it isolated and partly at the mercy of a powerful critic: the president, who must oversee efforts towards forming a viable coalition government.

European far-right and nationalist parties are celebrating the far-right Freedom Party’s win in Austria’s election

Its most likely partner the conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP), which finished runner up and also wants to impose tougher immigration rules. Otherwise a more centrist OVP-led coalition could take shape.