APD | Austria holds parliamentary election

**By APD writer Aditya Nugraha **

VIENNA, Sept. 29 (APD) - Austria held a snap parliamentary election that started from 7.00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m. on Sunday with conservative leader Sebastian Kurz looks set to win though he needs to coalesce with other parties to secure majority in the parliament.

The 33-year-old politician Kurz won 34 percent vote in polls opinion, followed by 22 percent secured by Socialist Party and 20 percent by the Freedom Party.

If he wins the election, Kurz has said that he would negotiate with parties after the election. Kurz will likely to coalesce with the far-right Freedom Party of FPO again or with the Greens and liberal Neos.

Another ally with the Social Democrats is possible but unlikely under their current leadership.

Greens faction also provides a prospect to ally with as it gained surging popularity up t0 13 percent in the polling opinion from 4 percent in 2017.

Analysts said that the Austrian election will be followed by a long period of coalition talks, meaning the current provisional government of civil servants led by former judge Brigitte Bierlein could remain in place until the end of the year or perhaps later.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)