(ANSA-AFP) - VIENNA, APR 28 - Vienna's incumbent mayor
Michael Ludwig kept his centre-left party in the top spot at
municipal elections in the Austrian capital Sunday, projections
based on partial results showed, but the far right tripled its
score, coming second. The Social Democrats (SPOe) -- in power
without interruption since 1945 -- won more than 39 percent of
the vote, down from almost 42 percent in 2020, according to the
projections. The far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) came second with
some 20 percent, up from some seven percent five years ago when
it plunged after being hit by a corruption scandal. The FPOe won
national elections for the first time ever last year, getting
almost a third of votes, but failed to find partners to form a
government. Ludwig, 64, has ruled out governing Vienna with the
FPOe, which says the city has become unsafe and should stop
spending money on supporting the integration of Syrian, Afghan
and other asylum seekers. Some 1.1 million people were eligible
to vote. More than a third of Vienna's two million people do not
have Austrian citizenship -- and that number is growing. It is
unclear with whom the SPOe will seek to govern for Ludwig's next
term. For Vienna's last government, they formed a coalition with
the liberal NEOS. In third place are the Greens with almost 15
percent, according to the projections, while the NEOS got almost
10 percent and are neck and neck with the conservatives.
(ANSA-AFP).
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