The Communist Party of Austria (KPOe Plus), which won less than 1% of the national vote in the 2019 general election, came second on Sunday in the municipal elections in Salzburg, EFE reported, citing Agerpres.

According to the preliminary results, the KPOe Plus formation won 23% of the votes in the municipal council elections, slightly away from the Social Democratic Party (SPOe) with 26%. The result is not final, but for the communist formation it represents a 500% increase compared to the percentage obtained in 2019.

In the mayoral election of Salzburg, the hierarchy is the same, the Social Democratic candidate receives 30% and the Communist 28%, so they will face each other in the second round.

KPOe Plus is a minority party that has no representation in the Austrian national parliament and is present in only two of Austria’s nine regional parliaments.

As for the People’s Party (OeVP) of Chancellor Karl Nehhammer, which forms a local majority in the city of Salzburg together with the Social Democrats, it lost half a percentage point, having received 20% of the vote according to the same previous results.