Austria holds a parliamentary election on Oct. 1. Following are sketches of parties in the campaign: ------Austrian people's party (OeVP, "black")

The conservative, Christian-oriented party shares many policies with neighboring Germany's Christian Democrats, notably the "social market economy" mix of business-friendly policies with general adherence to the welfare state. The People's Party also maintains a strong focus on traditional family values. ---------Social democratic party of Austria (SPOe, "red")

The centre-left Social Democrats, rooted in Austria's labor movement, are a shadow of the party during its heyday in the 1970s when it governed alone for 13 years under charismatic Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and built a welfare state modelled on Scandinavia.

The Social Democrats promise to redistribute wealth by closing tax loopholes and lowering middle-income taxes, an increase in public spending on infrastructure and a halt to privatization. They want to tweak pension rules but will not undo Schuessel's pension reform, most of which they eventually supported in parliament. ------The greens

Environmental protection, gender equality and the protection of minorities are the basic principles of Austria's Green party, which originated in a protest movement against a planned nuclear power plant in the late 1970s.

The Greens entered parliament for the first time in 1986 and won nearly 10 percent of votes in the 2002 national election, making them one of the strongest Green parties in Europe at the time.

In their election campaign, the Greens pledge to create jobs through investment in public transport, alternative energy sources and redevelopment of housing. In education, the party wants to introduce a right to afternoon care for children as well as to abolish university fees. --------Freedom party of Austria (FPOe, "blue")

A once-liberal party turned into a far right movement by populist firebrand Joerg Haider, Freedom surged to 27 percent and second place in Austria's 1999 election, becoming junior partner to the People's Party in Austria's ruling coalition.

Freedom slumped to 10 percent in 2002 after an internal split between pragmatists and ideologues. In 2005 Haider bolted and founded a rival party, which stayed in the coalition while hardliners took the rest of Freedom into opposition.

Freedom leader Heinz-Christian Strache has campaigned for a total halt to immigration, a separate police force dealing with foreigners and a ministry for repatriation of migrants he calls criminals, bogus asylum seekers and welfare cheats. ---------Alliance for Austria's future (BZOe, "orange")

Haider founded the Alliance after breaking away from the Freedom Party and this year named ex-protege Peter Westenthaler to run it. Westenthaler's campaign has revolved around a call to eject 300,000 foreigners, a third of Austria's total, within three years for the same reasons cited by Strache. (Source: Reuters)