The Freedom Party (FPÖ) became the largest with 29.2 percent of the votes.
The governing party, the conservative ÖVP, became the second largest with 26.5 percent, while the social democratic SPÖ landed on 21 percent of the votes. The Greens got 8 percent, while the liberal Neos reached 9 percent.
The election is a major success for FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. The strongly immigration-critical party has moved forward by 13 percentage points since the country's last parliamentary election in 2019, while ÖVP has lost 11 percentage points.
"Ready"
We have always said that we are ready to lead a government, we are ready to drive through this change in Austria, side by side with the people, said Kickl on Sunday evening.
But the path to achieving this, and whether it will be possible to form a majority, remains unclear despite the election success.
Before the election, no parties have said they want to be part of an FPÖ-led government. On the other hand, it has been hinted that ÖVP could join a possible coalition with SPÖ and Neos to avoid a potential FPÖ rule.
Such a coalition risks strengthening Kickl further, according to analysts.
Abolished Ukraine Support
Since Herbert Kickl took over the party in 2021, the 55-year-old has managed to gather frustrated voters by portraying FPÖ as a vote against the establishment. Kickl opposes sanctions against Russia and support to Ukraine, has spread various conspiracy theories about covid-19, and formed a far-right alliance with Hungary's Viktor Orbán in the EU parliament.
Not least, the party's xenophobic rhetoric attracts voters who have been hard hit by Austrian inflation.
More than six million Austrians have had the opportunity to vote in the parliamentary election.
FPÖ stands for Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (Austria's Freedom Party) and was founded in 1955 by former Nazis.
From having had a more liberal profile, the Freedom Party was taken in a more right-wing radical and populist direction in the 1980s by then party leader Jörg Haider. FPÖ has been part of several different government constellations and has driven a more or less xenophobic line.
FPÖ has long had close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his party United Russia. During the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the party leadership sided with Russia and opposed EU sanctions.
Herbert Kickl, born 1968 in Villach, was elected FPÖ leader in June 2021. Since then, the party's opinion polls have risen significantly.
