Doskozil, 52, won majority of support amid an internal vote of the largest opposition formation in Parliament. Nowadays, he serves as head of Burgenland province government.

The former defense minister must now be officially nominated at a SPO leadership conference called for upcoming Saturday, in which he may face Babler, deputy and current mayor of the Traiskirchen city.

The vote, to which all those registered in the party have been called in recent weeks, is described as an exceptional process to put an end to internal disputes that have weakened the Social Democrats in the opposition.

With his positions in favor of strict measures to control immigration, Doszkozil presented himself as the most capable candidate of slowing down the rise of the opposition and ultra-nationalist FPO member party, which has been leading in the polls for months.

pll/omr/ro/ehl.