Austrians to cast ballots for new parliament on Sunday

Austria is gearing up for a parliamentary election that is widely expected to re-elect the incumbent Chancellor Werner Faymann and his center-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO).

According to the most recent survey conducted by the Austrian polling institute OGM, the SPO would most likely garner 27 percent of the Sunday votes.

Their center-right partners in the coalition government, the Austrian People’s Party (OVP), are expected to maintain their position as the second biggest political party in the Austrian parliament, and get 22 percent of the vote.

The OVP leader, Michael Spindelegger, has said he wants to become the new Austrian chancellor, but political analysts predict that a renewal of the current Social Democrat-led government looks more likely.

Faymann has led Austria’s two-party centrist coalition government since 2007.

The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), headed by Heinz-Christian Strache, is set to notch up around 21% of the votes, and emerge as the third political force in Austria.

The FPO has been critical of the 28-member European Union, and its main pitch is anti-immigration policies.

The left-leaning Greens are expected to win 14 percent of the vote.

The dark horse in the political campaign is a party led by founder of Austrian-Canadian auto-parts supplier Magna International Inc., Frank Stronach.

The Team Stronach party, which has campaigned for “new values for Austria-Truth, Transparency, Fairness”, is expected to win the most votes outside of the established parties, and take 7 percent of the votes.