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The People’s Party (OVP) got 31.6 per cent of the vote, according to exit polls from pollster SORA. Mr Kurz's party is tough on migration, easy on taxes and widely Eurosceptic after rebranding itself over the last few months to propel its popularity in the wealthy Alpine nation. The 31-year-old is expected to form a coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPO), founded by a former SS officer, who got 26.9 per cent of the vote, according to the latest projections. Speaking after 85 per cent of the votes were counted, Mr Kurz told his cheering supporters: "Today we have won a huge mandate to change this country, and I promise you I will work with all my energy for change. "We want to establish a new culture in politics. And we want to change the country for the better.” The Social Democratic Party, the largest party in the last government, are in third place with 26 per cent.

GETTY Sebastian Kurz is expected to clinch victory

Today we have won a huge mandate to change this country Sebastian Kurz

The OVP will be the biggest party in the new parliament, according to the OE24 exit poll, with 57 seats – an increase of 10. The FPO will take 51 seats, up 11. The SPO, the largest party in the last parliament, will lose three seats, leaving them with 49. Mr Kurz said: "I would of course like to form a stable government. "If that cannot be done then there are other options." He said he planned to talk to all parties in parliament but would first wait for a count of postal ballots which begun on Monday morning and includes a sixth of all votes cast Exit polls including postal votes also showed Mr Kurz on course for victory.

While the Freedom Party got 26.8 per cent of the vote. During the first exit poll by OE24, the People’s Party (OVP) got 31 per cent of the vote, while the Freedom Party got 29 per cent of the vote, according to the exit poll. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party were in third place with 25 per cent. The SPO’s projected result of 26.3 per cent represents the party’s worst showing since the end of Adolf Hitler’s rule in Austria, according to Europe Elects.

World's youngest leader: Sebastian Kurz, 31, declares victory in Austria election Mon, October 16, 2017 Austrian election 2017: The Austrian People's Party emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 61 of the 183 seats Play slideshow EPA 1 of 22 Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, the leader and top candidate of the Austrian Peoples Party (OeVP) addresses his supporters during an OeVP's election party after the Austrian Federal Elections

Mr Kurz, 31, will become Europe’s youngest leader after becoming foreign minister at the age of 27. Although the OVP has been in government for 30 years and Mr Kurz is one of the cabinet’s longest serving ministers, he has run his campaign with a promise of change. The stunning result will come as a crushing blow to the EU and essentially a strong vote against liberal politics, pedalled by France and Germany. And as a member of the EU, Austria could now go on to resist efforts by Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron to reform the bloc and expand cooperation on issues such as immigration.

OE24 TV The exit polls show Sebastian Kurz is expected to clinch victory

REUTERS Sebastian Kurz could form a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party

Mr Kurz has already rejected EU reform proposals by Mr Macron. He was the foreign minister in the coalition government with the centre left SPÖ which ruled Austria until this election. Sunday’s result shows a move away from the middle ground and comes just a month after Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won nearly 13 per cent of the German vote. Mr Kurz was one of the backers of the recent law imposed in Austria banning the burka.

GETTY Sebastian Kurz arrives with his partner ahead of the elections