Austria's Ex-Chancellor Kurz Favored By 40% Of Voters For Head Of Gov't Position - Survey

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) Forty percent of Austrian nationals would like ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to again assume the office of the head of government, the fresh poll by Kurier, conducted together with the OGM market agency, showed.

The early legislative election in Austria is scheduled for September 29.

If the chancellor was to be chosen in a direct election, Norbert Hofer, the leader of Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), would be supported by 23 percent of the voters, followed by Pamela Rendi-Wagner, the chairwoman of the Social Democratic Party (SPO), with 19 percent, the survey showed.

According to the survey, the Austrian People's Party (OVP) led by Kurz is supported by 35 percent of voters, followed by SPO with 23 percent and FPO, the former coalition partner of the OVP.

The Austrian Green Party is backed by 11 percent of the respondents, while the Neos party is supported 8 percent of Austrians. The JETZT party, founded by the former lawmaker from the Green Party, is endorsed by 1.5 percent of those surveyed.

One in five Austrians said they had not decided who they would support at the upcoming election.

The survey was conducted in August among 812 people.

Kurz's cabinet was dismissed in May following a vote of no confidence amid a scandal involving Heinz-Christian Strache, the former leader of OVP's then-coalition partner FPO. The scandal was sparked by a release of footage showing Strache discussing potentially exchanging government contracts against help with election with an alleged niece of a Latvian oligarch.