Austrian centrist coalition wins majority in parliamentary vote despite declining support

Austrian centrist coalition on Sunday won a combined majority in the parliamentary elections, despite declining support comared to the last election. The center-left Austrian Social Democrats, Chancellor Werner Faymann's party, got 27.1 percent of the votes, which translates into 53 seats in parliament, decreasing 2.2 points from 2008, while the center-right conservative People's Party (OVP) received 23.8 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed. Together, the two parties coalition got 99 seats in parliament, giving them a majority for the next five-year term in parliament, which seems to make a continuation of Austria's current governing coalition. However, the centrist coalition lost some support to the far-right Freedom Party and a new liberal party, recording the worst election results since World War II. Faymann said he would invite OVP head Michael Spindelegger to join him in a new coalition governmen. However, Spindelegger refuse to rule out his possible coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO). The new goverment might be a coalition between the centrist coalition after weeks of negotiation, fased with a series of tough issue, including financial pressure and boosting employment in the country.