VIENNA — The far-right Freedom Party of Austria stormed to victory on Sunday, according to early projections, marking the first time since World War II that a party with fascist leanings has won a national election in the Alpine nation.
The Freedom Party, which was founded by a group of Nazi veterans in the 1950s, led the field with 29.1 percent of the vote, edging out the center-right Austrian People’s Party, which currently leads a coalition government. The People’s Party garnered 26.2 percent. The center-left Social Democrats finished third with 20.4 percent, followed by the liberal Neos with 8.8 percent and the Greens with 8.6 percent.