1970 Austrian legislative election

1970 Austrian legislative election

1 March 1970
165 seats in the National Council of Austria 83 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Bruno Kreisky Josef Klaus Friedrich Peter Party SPÖ ÖVP FPÖ Leader since 1967 1963 1958 Last election 74 seats, 42.56% 85 seats, 48.35% 6 seats, 5.35% Seats won 81 78 6 Seat change 7 7 Popular vote 2,221,981 2,051,012 253,425 Percentage 48.42% 44.69% 5.52% Swing 5.86% 3.66% 0.17%
Chancellor before election Josef Klaus ÖVP Elected Chancellor Bruno Kreisky SPÖ

Parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 1 March 1970. The result was a victory for the Socialist Party, which won 81 of the 165 seats to become the largest party for the first time in the Second Republic. With the SPÖ two seats short of a majority, SPÖ leader Bruno Kreisky became Chancellor at the head of a minority government that was tolerated by the Freedom Party of Austria in return for electoral reforms that benefitted smaller parties by increasing the proportionality of votes and seats. Voter turnout was 91.8%. It was the first Socialist-led government since 1920, and the first purely left-wing government in Austrian history. The SPÖ would lead the government for the next 29 years.

Early elections under the new system were held the following year, at which the Socialists won an outright majority.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Socialist Party of Austria	2,221,981	48.4	81	+7
Austrian People's Party	2,051,012	44.7	78	–7
Freedom Party of Austria	253,425	5.5	6	0
Communist Party of Austria	44,750	1.0	0	0
Democratic Progressive Party	14,925	0.3	0	0
National Democratic Party	2,631	0.1	0	New
Adolf Glantschnig - For Humanity, Law and Freedom in Austria	237	0.0	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	41,890	–	–	–
Total	4,630,851	100	165	0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Popular vote SPÖ   48.42% ÖVP   44.69% FPÖ   5.52% KPÖ   0.98% Other   0.37%

Parliamentary seats SPÖ   49.09% ÖVP   47.27% FPÖ   3.64%