Far-right lose out in elections

Elections were held in Carinthia and in the state of Lower Austria.

The neofascist Freedom Party saw its share of the vote in Carinthia more than halve to around 17.1 per cent from 44.9 per cent at the last election in 2009 following a string of corruption cases.

The Freedom Party also saw its score fall 2 percentage points in Lower Austria to 8.5 per cent, relegating it to fourth place behind Team Stronach - a new eurosceptic party.

And federal Chancellor Werner Faymann's Social Democrats (SPOe) looked set to regain Austria's southern-most state for the first time since 1999, coming on top with 37.1 per cent of the vote - up 8.4 percentage points.

Mr Faymann's coalition partners, the centre-right People's Party, retained an absolute majority in Lower Austria with 51 per cent, while the SPOe fell 3.9 percentage points to 21.6 per cent. Haider sent shockwaves through Europe in 2000 when his far-right party became part of the Austrian federal government.

After his drink-driving death in 2008, Carinthia remained the right's main bastion, but a number of damaging corruption cases haveeroded support since 2009.

The scandals have also added to accusations that Haider, along with making light of nazi concentration camps and praising the Waffen SS, was extremely keen on using his power to line his pockets.