Ruling party's vote collapses in European Parliament election

AUSTRIA's governing Social Democrats saw their vote collapse to an all time low yesterday in the country's first direct elections to the European Parliament. The far right Freedom Party, led by Mr Joerg Raider, won its biggest share of the vote to date after a campaign of opposition to the Maastricht Treaty and the single European currency.

Computer projections last night suggested that Chancellor Franz Vranitzky's Social Democrats, who govern Austria in a coalition with the smaller, conservative People's Party, won less than 30 per cent of the vote. This is 8 per cent less than they polled at the last parliamentary elections in December 1995 and the party's worst national result since Austria's first democratic elections in 1918.

The People's Party improved its performance slightly, polling just under 30 per cent. This success may have been due to the party's strategy of fielding well known candidates, including one of Austria's most popular television personalities.

But the Freedom Party was yesterday's main winner, easily surpassing its target of 25 per cent to win more than 28 per cent of the vote.

The election was the first nationwide vote since the general election and the introduction of a tough budget in March which has hit the average Austrian hard. It was also the first test of public opinion on Europe since Austria joined the EU in January 1995. Many Austrians have blamed membership of the EU for record bankruptcies, a series of company takeovers by foreign firms and rising unemployment.

Dr Raider fought a skilful campaign, accusing the government of bungling Austria's entry into the EU and demanding the renegotiation of the country's annual payments to Brussels.

Dr Vranitzky insisted last night that the poor result for his party would have no effect on Austria's internal politics, claiming that it simply reflected popular dissatisfaction with the EU. But the Social Democrats also suffered heavy losses in a state election in Vienna yesterday, losing its overall majority in the Austrian capital for the first time since the end of the second World War.