- Title: Austrian voters looking for a new coalition
- Date: 29th September 2019
- Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION SIGN FOR POLLING STATION PEOPLE GOING INTO POLLING STATION PHOTOGRAPHER WORKING OUTSIDE EU AND AUSTRIAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (German) UNNAMED AUSTRIAN VOTER, SAYING: "We have to get control of the future, of energy, of employment, the economy, in principle what is important is the environment, and the future of Austria." (SOUNDBITE) (German) 72-YEAR OLD AUSTRIAN VOTER, GERNOT DEMMICH, SAYING: "I hope that the idiotic parties that are in charge now get voted out. I could say which parties I mean, but everyone knows who they are." EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (German) 72-YEAR OLD AUSTRIAN VOTER, GERNOT DEMMICH, SAYING: "I would say that a possibility of a centre-left government would be what I hope for this country." TYPICAL AUSTRIAN HORSE AND CART RIDING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (German) 42-YEAR OLD AUSTRIAN VOTER, THOMAS WEISS, SAYING "I want a social-democrat-led government, in whichever form that takes depending on how the majority is built." EXTERIOR OF THE POLLING STATION VIENNA STREET SCENE ELECTION PARTY POSTERS ELECTION POSTER FOR CHANCELLOR SEBASTIAN KURZ VIENNA STREET STATUTE IN SQUARE
- Embargoed: 13th October 2019 12:18
- Keywords: Austria snap election polling station voting coalition voxpops
- Location: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- City: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- Country: Austria
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYPLT8N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Austrians vote on Sunday (September 29) in a snap parliamentary election that conservative leader Sebastian Kurz looks set to win, but he will still need a coalition partner to secure a majority.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and the first projections are due shortly after voting ends at 5 p.m.
The election follows the collapse in May of Kurz's coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after a video sting scandal that forced FPO Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache to step down.
Kurz, 33, has emerged largely unscathed from the scandal, even gaining voters from the FPO as its support has slipped to roughly a fifth of the electorate from just over a quarter in the last vote in 2017. On the left, there has been some shift in support from the Social Democrats to the resurgent Greens.
While they might be able to give Kurz and his party a narrow majority in parliament, he is unlikely to want to be at the mercy of a small number of its left-wing lawmakers, meaning that if he chooses to ally with the Greens he will probably seek a three-way tie-up including the pro-business Neos. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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