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Roundup: Social democrats win Vienna election but Freedom Party gains

Xinhua, October 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The center-left Austrian Social Democrats (SPO) maintained the first place in Vienna election, defending their governance in the city, according to the official election results on Sunday.

The SPO got nearly 40 percent of the vote, the first place in the election, however, around 5 percent less than the election in 2010, while the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) made the second place, obtaining around 31 percent of the vote, about 5 percent higher than 2010 election, also the highest after the war.

The SPO has governed the city since the founding of the new republic.

Center-right Austrian People's Party (OVP) only got 9.3 percent of the vote, the fourth place in the election, losing one-third of its votes.

The ongoing refugee crisis is seen as a main parameter of the elections in Austria. The right-wing FPO had a big victory in the country's regional election earlier, while European political leaders failed to find a solution to the crisis.

FPO, a seemingly hardliner over the refugee crisis, disagrees with the current refugee and migration policy.

After the election, Vienna mayor Michael Haupl from SPO said he would stick to the policy of helping the asylum seekers.

Heinz-Christian Strache, head of FPO, said though he failed to defeat Michael Haupl to be the mayor of Vienna, but his party is rising in recent years, and that he is expecting the next election.

Nearly 20,000 refugees passed through Austria in September, most of whom went to Germany.

There were several demonstrations in the city before the election, calling upon the government and citizens to help the refugees.

The election was seen as a duel between SPO and FPO, and also the contest of between Heinz-Christian Strache and the mayor Michael Haupl.

SPO would be likely to maintain its government coalition with the green party of Austria in Vienna. Endit