Head of Freedom Party (FPOe) Herbert Kickl gestures, as vote projections show that FPOe won the general election, in Vienna, Austria, September 29, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS)

The FPO won 28.8% of the vote, ahead of the OVP on 26.3%, and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) on 21.1%, according to a projection based on nearly all the vote by pollster Foresight.

However, if the FPO cannot persuade another party to ally with it, it could end the FPO's hopes of forming a government and open the door to a coalition of more moderate parties.

Seat projections suggested the OVP and SPO, which ruled Austria for decades together, could just muster a majority without a third party, which had long looked unlikely.