Vienna - Despite heavy losses, first projections showed the Social Democratic Party was likely to keep the chancellorship as the strongest party in Austria's early parliamentary elections on Sunday.

But the real winners were the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZOe), which together won around 30 per cent of the votes, according to the preliminary projection by ARGE Wahlen, based on 25 per cent of counted ballots.

Led by Transport Minister Werner Faymann, the Social Democratic Party (SPOe) stood at around 29 per cent, 6 per cent less than in the last elections in 2006.

Projections indicated the centrist conservative People's Party (OeVP) came in second. At 25 per cent, the party led by Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer has lost 9 per cent of voters since 2006.

The data shows that social democrats and conservatives are likely to end their short-lived coalition with the worst election results in their parties' histories.

Heinz-Christian Strache's far-right Freedom Party was projected to gain around 7 per cent to collect 18 per cent of the ballots, while Joerg Haider's Alliance almost tripled its votes to 12 per cent, from 4 per cent in 2006.  (dpa)