The eurosceptic FPO has been leading Chancellor Karl Nehammer's ruling conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) in opinion polls in a campaign dominated by immigration and concerns about the economy.

According to a forecast based on most of the votes by the pollster Foresight for the ORF television station, the FPO party led by Herbert Kickl, 55, won 28.8% of the vote, ahead of the OVP with 26.3% and the center-left Social Democrats (SPO) with 21.1%.

"We made history for Austria because this is the first time the Freedom Party has come first in a parliamentary election, and you have to think how far we have come," Kickl said after the record performance of the FPO, founded in the 1950s under the leadership of a former Nazi lawmaker.

However, due to not winning a majority, the FPO needs to form a coalition with several other parties to form a new government. Currently, only the OVP has shown signs of being able to cooperate with the FPO.

Seat projections suggest that the OVP and SPO, two opposition parties that have ruled Austria together for decades, could win a majority without a third party – a partnership that few had previously thought possible.

Kickl’s victory was hailed by far-right parties across Europe, where the far right has made gains in countries including the Netherlands, France and Germany. That growing support could increase the risk of divisions within the European Union over key policy areas such as aid to Ukraine against Russia.

Mr Kickl has opposed providing aid to Ukraine and wants sanctions against Russia to be withdrawn, arguing that they hurt Austria more than Moscow.

Kickl said on Sunday he was ready to negotiate with all parties on forming a coalition. President Alexander Van der Bellen, who is overseeing the process of forming a government, has called on the parties to find common ground in negotiations in the coming weeks.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters)