Austria Chancellor Werner Faymann quits over far-right election victory

Weakened by poor results in a presidential vote, Werner Faymann faced pressure from his party to cooperate with the anti-immigration far right

Werner Faymann had been under pressure after his party's poor performance in a presidential election two weeks ago (Adam Berry/Getty Images)

The Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann has resigned after losing the support of his Social Democrat Party following the victory of the far-right in presidential elections.

Mr Faymann had been under pressure from trade unionists and his party's youth wing for his tough stance on asylum laws and faced calls to stand down after the party's poor performance in a presidential election two weeks ago.

"To have majority [in the party] is not enough," a spokeswoman for Mr Faymann quoted him as saying at a hastily convened news conference.

"This country needs a chancellor who has the party's full support," the statement added.

Austria's right-wing Freedom Party took 35 per cent in the first round of the country's presidential vote, with the anti-immigrant party's establishment rivals gaining not much more than 10 per cent each.

Mr Faymann's party came second-last in the first round.

The election results come after a series of losses in provincial elections by the Social Democrats, who have dominated Austrian politics along with the centrist People's Party since World War II. The People's Party has suffered similar losses.

Additional reporting by agencies