Austrian conservative Sebastian Kurz, 31, is set to become Europe's youngest leader and could form an alliance with the far-right in Sunday's election.
Here is a look at him and his key rivals in the race.
- 'Whizz-kid' -
"Wunderwuzzi" ("whizz-kid") Sebastian Kurz has managed to sell himself as an agent of change despite being in government since 2011.
As Europe's youngest foreign minister, he already claimed credit for closing the Balkan migrant route in 2016.
When he took over the centre-right People's Party (OeVP), he promptly ended its acrimonious "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats (SPOe).
Kurz rebranded the OeVP as a "movement", brought in young talent from outside politics and vowed to go tough on immigration.
The radical makeover paid off, with the party leapfrogging the SPOe and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) to lead opinion polls.
If the 31-year-old wins the election, he's expected to form a coalition with the FPOe, having already adopted many of their themes.
- Far-right 'statesman' -
Power has never been this tantalisingly close for Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) chief Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, who hopes to become vice-chancellor on Sunday.
In his youth, the former dental technician had dalliance with neo-Nazis.
But these days his appearance is statesman-like as he seeks to clean up the FPOe's extremist image.
When Strache took over the FPOe in 2005, the movement was a mess. Joerg Haider, its controversial but magnetic leader from 1986-2000, had broken off to form his own party.
But "HC" restored its fortunes and the FPOe is predicted to win around 25 percent of the vote.
However, it remains to be seen whether the man who in 2016 called German Chancellor Angela Merkel "the most dangerous woman in Europe", has mellowed enough to be part of a coalition government in an EU member state.
Strache says Islam and most migrants have no place in Austria, and thinks Britain "will probably be better off after Brexit".
- 'Lame duck' chancellor -
With his business acumen, Chancellor Christian Kern, 51, was hailed as a game-changer last May when he took over the Social Democrats.
But experts say scandals and internal rifts have turned the dapper father-of-four into a "lame duck", outflanked by hardline conservatives.
Particularly damaging were claims that a shady SPOe-financed spin doctor set up an anti-Kurz smear campaign on Facebook.
In another embarrassing incident, an SPOe insider called Kern a "vain princess" in a leaked party-commissioned report.
The chancellor has vowed to go into opposition if the once-mighty SPOe doesn't come first, making another "grand coalition" with the OeVP unlikely -- unless a party coup topples him or he changes his mind.
Kern has also ruled out sharing power with the FPOe.
Others in the SPOe however are open to a far-right union if it means staying in power.
- The hopeful rest -
A handful of small parties are trying to reach the four-percent hurdle required to enter parliament.
After a record result in the 2013 election, the Greens and their pro-refugee agenda could face a fiasco on Sunday.
Internal rifts prompted the departure of their longterm chief in May and saw popular member Peter Pilz, 63, split in July to run as an independent.
His anti-establishment platform with its tougher migrant stance could draw disgruntled voters from all camps.
In a last-ditch effort, celebrities have in recent days rallied behind new Greens boss Ulrike Lunacek, 60, the former vice-president of the European Parliament.
The liberal NEOS of dynamic chief Matthias Strolz, 44, entered parliament for the first time in 2013.
They're hoping to emulate the recent electoral success of their German allies, the pro-business Free Democrats.
Austrian conservative Sebastian Kurz, 31, is set to become Europe’s youngest leader and could form an alliance with the far-right in Sunday’s election.
Here is a look at him and his key rivals in the race.
– ‘Whizz-kid’ –
“Wunderwuzzi” (“whizz-kid”) Sebastian Kurz has managed to sell himself as an agent of change despite being in government since 2011.
As Europe’s youngest foreign minister, he already claimed credit for closing the Balkan migrant route in 2016.
When he took over the centre-right People’s Party (OeVP), he promptly ended its acrimonious “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats (SPOe).
Kurz rebranded the OeVP as a “movement”, brought in young talent from outside politics and vowed to go tough on immigration.
The radical makeover paid off, with the party leapfrogging the SPOe and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) to lead opinion polls.
If the 31-year-old wins the election, he’s expected to form a coalition with the FPOe, having already adopted many of their themes.
– Far-right ‘statesman’ –
Power has never been this tantalisingly close for Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) chief Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, who hopes to become vice-chancellor on Sunday.
In his youth, the former dental technician had dalliance with neo-Nazis.
But these days his appearance is statesman-like as he seeks to clean up the FPOe’s extremist image.
When Strache took over the FPOe in 2005, the movement was a mess. Joerg Haider, its controversial but magnetic leader from 1986-2000, had broken off to form his own party.
But “HC” restored its fortunes and the FPOe is predicted to win around 25 percent of the vote.
However, it remains to be seen whether the man who in 2016 called German Chancellor Angela Merkel “the most dangerous woman in Europe”, has mellowed enough to be part of a coalition government in an EU member state.
Strache says Islam and most migrants have no place in Austria, and thinks Britain “will probably be better off after Brexit”.
– ‘Lame duck’ chancellor –
With his business acumen, Chancellor Christian Kern, 51, was hailed as a game-changer last May when he took over the Social Democrats.
But experts say scandals and internal rifts have turned the dapper father-of-four into a “lame duck”, outflanked by hardline conservatives.
Particularly damaging were claims that a shady SPOe-financed spin doctor set up an anti-Kurz smear campaign on Facebook.
In another embarrassing incident, an SPOe insider called Kern a “vain princess” in a leaked party-commissioned report.
The chancellor has vowed to go into opposition if the once-mighty SPOe doesn’t come first, making another “grand coalition” with the OeVP unlikely — unless a party coup topples him or he changes his mind.
Kern has also ruled out sharing power with the FPOe.
Others in the SPOe however are open to a far-right union if it means staying in power.
– The hopeful rest –
A handful of small parties are trying to reach the four-percent hurdle required to enter parliament.
After a record result in the 2013 election, the Greens and their pro-refugee agenda could face a fiasco on Sunday.
Internal rifts prompted the departure of their longterm chief in May and saw popular member Peter Pilz, 63, split in July to run as an independent.
His anti-establishment platform with its tougher migrant stance could draw disgruntled voters from all camps.
In a last-ditch effort, celebrities have in recent days rallied behind new Greens boss Ulrike Lunacek, 60, the former vice-president of the European Parliament.
The liberal NEOS of dynamic chief Matthias Strolz, 44, entered parliament for the first time in 2013.
They’re hoping to emulate the recent electoral success of their German allies, the pro-business Free Democrats.
