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| Austria Shifts Right as Refashioned Conservatives Win | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| VIENNA — Austria’s 31-year-old foreign minister led the conservative party to a major political victory on Sunday, with the People’s Party emerging as the strongest political force in the country, setting the course for a shift to the right. | |
| Supporters of the foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, erupted into cheers as preliminary results showed his party surging ahead of its traditional rival, the center-left Social Democratic Party, for only the second time since 1970. | Supporters of the foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, erupted into cheers as preliminary results showed his party surging ahead of its traditional rival, the center-left Social Democratic Party, for only the second time since 1970. |
| Under Mr. Kurz, the staid, traditionally conservative People’s Party was refashioned into a social-media-savvy political movement that attracted hundreds of thousands of new supporters in a campaign focused on limiting immigration and strengthening the country’s social welfare system. | Under Mr. Kurz, the staid, traditionally conservative People’s Party was refashioned into a social-media-savvy political movement that attracted hundreds of thousands of new supporters in a campaign focused on limiting immigration and strengthening the country’s social welfare system. |
| “We made the impossible possible,” Mr. Kurz told supporters who had gathered in the 19th-century Kursalon music hall in Vienna to watch the results after five months of intense campaigning. | “We made the impossible possible,” Mr. Kurz told supporters who had gathered in the 19th-century Kursalon music hall in Vienna to watch the results after five months of intense campaigning. |
| “I promise you that I will fight with everything that I have for change in this land,” Mr. Kurz said. “We have to establish a new political style in this country, we have to create a new culture.” | “I promise you that I will fight with everything that I have for change in this land,” Mr. Kurz said. “We have to establish a new political style in this country, we have to create a new culture.” |
| Preliminary results released by the Interior Ministry showed the People’s Party winning 31.4 percent of the vote, and President Alexander Van der Bellen declared the young minister the “clear winner” of the evening. The president is expected to tap Mr. Kurz to form a government once the results are finalized later this week, after absentee ballots are counted. | Preliminary results released by the Interior Ministry showed the People’s Party winning 31.4 percent of the vote, and President Alexander Van der Bellen declared the young minister the “clear winner” of the evening. The president is expected to tap Mr. Kurz to form a government once the results are finalized later this week, after absentee ballots are counted. |
| Mr. Kurz, in television interviews on Sunday, repeatedly declined to name a potential partner for his government, saying that he would wait to open talks with other parties until a final result is in, which is expected by Friday. | Mr. Kurz, in television interviews on Sunday, repeatedly declined to name a potential partner for his government, saying that he would wait to open talks with other parties until a final result is in, which is expected by Friday. |
| The conservatives have served as the junior partner in governments led by the center-left Socialist Party since 2007. But it was seen as unlikely that the two parties would continue a coalition after this election, in part because of a campaign scandal in which the Socialists were linked to two fake Facebook pages smearing Mr. Kurz. | The conservatives have served as the junior partner in governments led by the center-left Socialist Party since 2007. But it was seen as unlikely that the two parties would continue a coalition after this election, in part because of a campaign scandal in which the Socialists were linked to two fake Facebook pages smearing Mr. Kurz. |
| The Socialists, led by Chancellor Christian Kern, 51, finished third with 26.7 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed. | The Socialists, led by Chancellor Christian Kern, 51, finished third with 26.7 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed. |
| The most likely coalition partner appeared to be the nationalist, populist Freedom Party, which initial results showed winning 27.1 percent of the vote. The party complained during the election campaign that Mr. Kurz had stolen its playbook, seizing on issues like limits to immigration and the threat posed to Austrian identity by Islam. | The most likely coalition partner appeared to be the nationalist, populist Freedom Party, which initial results showed winning 27.1 percent of the vote. The party complained during the election campaign that Mr. Kurz had stolen its playbook, seizing on issues like limits to immigration and the threat posed to Austrian identity by Islam. |
| The Freedom Party, led by Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, was believed to be eager to join the government. The party had hoped for a stronger showing months after it narrowly lost the presidency to Mr. van Der Bellen, a former leader of the Greens. | The Freedom Party, led by Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, was believed to be eager to join the government. The party had hoped for a stronger showing months after it narrowly lost the presidency to Mr. van Der Bellen, a former leader of the Greens. |
| Despite participating in neo-Nazi activities as a youth, Mr. Strache has tried to cast his party in a more centrist light — unlike previous leaders who were known for remarks sympathetic to the Nazis — while remaining sharply critical of Islam. He has insisted that the party would not call into question Austria’s European Union membership if it entered the government. | Despite participating in neo-Nazi activities as a youth, Mr. Strache has tried to cast his party in a more centrist light — unlike previous leaders who were known for remarks sympathetic to the Nazis — while remaining sharply critical of Islam. He has insisted that the party would not call into question Austria’s European Union membership if it entered the government. |
| “We say yes to Europe, but we are critical,” Mr. Strache said on Sunday. | “We say yes to Europe, but we are critical,” Mr. Strache said on Sunday. |
| The Austrian result is the latest indication of Europe’s shift to the right, after the far-right Alternative for Germany party won more than 90 seats in the German Parliament last month, making it the third-largest bloc in the legislature. | The Austrian result is the latest indication of Europe’s shift to the right, after the far-right Alternative for Germany party won more than 90 seats in the German Parliament last month, making it the third-largest bloc in the legislature. |
| The strong showing by right-leaning populist parties in the German-speaking world appeared to give new momentum to a surge of populism in Europe, after defeats of nationalists in the Netherlands and France. | The strong showing by right-leaning populist parties in the German-speaking world appeared to give new momentum to a surge of populism in Europe, after defeats of nationalists in the Netherlands and France. |
| Sunday’s outcome appears set to shift Austria’s political course, a move that is sure to please right-wing leaders in Poland and neighboring Hungary, but could strain ties with France and Austria’s neighbor to the north, Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr. Kurz, whose conservative party is in a bloc with her own in the European Parliament, to offer her congratulations. | Sunday’s outcome appears set to shift Austria’s political course, a move that is sure to please right-wing leaders in Poland and neighboring Hungary, but could strain ties with France and Austria’s neighbor to the north, Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr. Kurz, whose conservative party is in a bloc with her own in the European Parliament, to offer her congratulations. |
| The World Jewish Congress called the Austrian election results “distressing.” It called on Mr. Kurz not to enter into government with the Freedom Party, warning in a statement that the party “is still full of xenophobes and racists and is, mildly put, very ambiguous toward Austria’s Nazi past.” | The World Jewish Congress called the Austrian election results “distressing.” It called on Mr. Kurz not to enter into government with the Freedom Party, warning in a statement that the party “is still full of xenophobes and racists and is, mildly put, very ambiguous toward Austria’s Nazi past.” |
| Mr. Kurz stormed onto Austria’s political scene in May, refashioning the party as a movement, swapping out its traditional black color for a more modern turquoise and generating support through a social media campaign focused on the idea of breaking with the consensus-focused politics that has dominated Austrian lawmaking for decades. | Mr. Kurz stormed onto Austria’s political scene in May, refashioning the party as a movement, swapping out its traditional black color for a more modern turquoise and generating support through a social media campaign focused on the idea of breaking with the consensus-focused politics that has dominated Austrian lawmaking for decades. |
| “If I am asked, I will carry out talks and try make possible the changes that Austria really needs, first the tax cuts for working people, making our social welfare system more secure and fighting illegal immigration that endangers the order and security in our country,” Mr. Kurz said in an interview. He insisted that despite its focus on limiting immigration, his party remained a centrist force. | “If I am asked, I will carry out talks and try make possible the changes that Austria really needs, first the tax cuts for working people, making our social welfare system more secure and fighting illegal immigration that endangers the order and security in our country,” Mr. Kurz said in an interview. He insisted that despite its focus on limiting immigration, his party remained a centrist force. |
| A demonstration of about 200 people carrying signs reading “Nazis Out” marched through the streets of Vienna after the first projections showed the conservative party emerging on top. | A demonstration of about 200 people carrying signs reading “Nazis Out” marched through the streets of Vienna after the first projections showed the conservative party emerging on top. |
| “Grab a drink, because we have something to celebrate tonight,” said Ursula Zoehrer, 47, a civil servant from the western state of Tyrol, who was celebrating Mr. Kurz’s victory in Vienna. Like many who cast their votes for the People’s Party, Ms. Zoehrer credited the minister’s energy and promise of change for her decision to support him. | “Grab a drink, because we have something to celebrate tonight,” said Ursula Zoehrer, 47, a civil servant from the western state of Tyrol, who was celebrating Mr. Kurz’s victory in Vienna. Like many who cast their votes for the People’s Party, Ms. Zoehrer credited the minister’s energy and promise of change for her decision to support him. |
| “Austrian politics was quite stuck, and those in charge didn’t listen to the people,” she said. “If something was wrong, they blamed the E.U. But I think Mr. Kurz is really enthusiastic and he will try to break up the system.” | “Austrian politics was quite stuck, and those in charge didn’t listen to the people,” she said. “If something was wrong, they blamed the E.U. But I think Mr. Kurz is really enthusiastic and he will try to break up the system.” |
| Several smaller parties also made it into Parliament, although the Greens appeared to have fallen short of the 4 percent support needed to win seats. | Several smaller parties also made it into Parliament, although the Greens appeared to have fallen short of the 4 percent support needed to win seats. |
| At the Freedom Party’s celebration, Josef Tscherwenka of Vienna said migration remained his largest worry. | At the Freedom Party’s celebration, Josef Tscherwenka of Vienna said migration remained his largest worry. |
| “The pictures of refugees coming in from 2015 are still frightening,” he said. “It’s frightening we don’t know who is in the country. Austria just can’t afford this migration.” | “The pictures of refugees coming in from 2015 are still frightening,” he said. “It’s frightening we don’t know who is in the country. Austria just can’t afford this migration.” |