Austrian legislative election, 2013

Austrian legislative election, 2013

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All 183 seats in the National Council 92 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	4,782,410 (74.91%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Werner Faymann Michael Spindelegger Heinz-Christian Strache Party SPÖ ÖVP FPÖ Leader since 2008 2011 2005 Last election 57 seats, 29.26% 51 seats, 25.98% 34 seats, 17.54% Seats won 52 47 40 Seat change 5 4 6 Popular vote 1,258,605 1,125,876 962,313 Percentage 26.82% 23.99% 20.51% Swing 2.44% 1.99% 2.97%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Eva Glawischnig Frank Stronach Matthias Strolz Party Greens Stronach NEOS Leader since 2008 2012 2012 Last election 20 seats, 10.43% Did not contest Did not contest Seats won 24 11 9 Seat change 4 11 9 Popular vote 582,657 268,679 232,946 Percentage 12.42% 5.73% 4.96% Swing 1.99% 5.73% 4.96%   Seventh party   Leader Josef Bucher Party BZÖ Leader since 2009 Last election 21 seats, 10.7% Seats won 0 Seat change 21 Popular vote 165,746 Percentage 3.53% Swing 7.17%
Largest party by state (left) and district (right)
Chancellor before election Werner Faymann SPÖ Elected Chancellor Werner Faymann SPÖ

Werner Faymann
SPÖ

Werner Faymann
SPÖ

Legislative elections were held in Austria on 29 September 2013.

All 183 seats in the National Council will be filled, with MPs elected by party-list proportional representation. For this election, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) had proposed a reduction in the number of MPs from 183 to 165 as part of austerity measures, but despite overwhelming support from the Austrian populace, the proposals failed to pass in parliament.

The government is a grand coalition between Austria's two largest parties, the SPÖ and ÖVP, who rule with the SPÖ's Werner Faymann as Chancellor. Support for both governing parties has fallen marginally since the 2008 election. The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) made significant gains in the previous election, but while the FPÖ gained support after the 2008 election, the BZÖ shrank after the death of its founder Jörg Haider and taking a turn toward liberalism. Additionally, nine of the BZÖ's 21 elected members to the National Council changed their party affiliation during the term: five members joined the Team Stronach, while four joined the FPÖ. Team Stronach, funded by Austrian-Canadian businessman Frank Stronach, has emerged as an anti-euro alternative and eventually started to hurt the FPÖ's standing in the polls. The Greens have solidified their position as the fourth-largest party in opinion polls.