In Austria, the chancellor party ÖVP suffered heavy losses in a regional election.

According to projections, she lost almost ten percentage points in the state elections in Lower Austria and received almost 40 percent.

She loses her absolute majority in parliament in St. Pölten and also has to worry about her majority in the proportional government.

The success of the right-wing FPÖ also caused a stir.

It comes in second with big gains and 25 percent.

The social democratic SPÖ slipped to third place with a good 20 percent.

The Greens and the liberal Neos are also in the state parliament.

Stephen Lowenstein

Political correspondent based in Vienna.

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Lower Austria, with around 1.3 million voters the most populous federal state, is a traditionally "black" stronghold.

The ÖVP party has been the head of government there for decades, and Johanna Mikl-Leitner has been the state governor since 2017.

The fact that she would not be able to hold the absolute majority in the state parliament was already becoming apparent given the low in the polls for her scandal-ridden party.

Because of the proportional government, however, another brand is decisive for staying in power: All parties above a certain strength are integrated into the government.

As long as the ÖVP has at least five of the nine members of the government in the state building in St. Pölten, it cannot be ruled against.

According to the figures from Sunday evening, it looked like the ÖVP missed it.

In her election campaign, Mikl-Leitner relied on her office bonus and on maximum distance from the federal ÖVP.

On the other hand, she tried to present herself as a guarantor that the FPÖ, with her state chief Udo Landbauer, could not determine the state governor.

However, the SPÖ has so far ruled out making farmers the governor of the state, the FPÖ does not want to bow to a weaker party.

According to the election result, a third party would also be needed for an alliance against the ÖVP.

In the evening, Mikl-Leitner therefore campaigned for a "model of cooperation" in order to be able to remain at the top of the state with an agreement.

The "painful result" was "not unexpected," said Mikl-Leitner, referring to global crises and widespread dissatisfaction with federal politics, which rubbed off on state politics own poster campaign (“Festung Austria") on the subject of migration before the state elections. As a result, it seemed possible just a few weeks ago that there would be a “blue-red majority” of the FPÖ and SPÖ in the country. At least that was the case prevent was successful.

The historically poor result thus brings unrest in the ÖVP, but the federal political consequences should be limited, especially if, as expected, Mikl-Leitner remains governor.

Coalitions are unusual in Lower Austria, but the norm elsewhere.

The “turquoise-green” government governing the federal government under Chancellor Nehammer should remain unaffected and continue to work until the end of the 2024 legislative period.

Neither the ÖVP nor the Greens can have an interest in holding federal elections early.

And within the ÖVP, after two chancellor changes in this legislative period (Sebastian Kurz, Alexander Schallenberg), there is no sensible alternative to Nehammer.

However, governing will not be any easier for him after the Lower Austria elections.

Because the ÖVP and the Greens have now also lost their previous majority in the Bundesrat.

Unlike in Germany, the state chamber cannot block laws, but can delay them.