Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defied expectations and the so-called “incumbency curse” to secure a resounding second-term victory, with his centre-left Labor Party predicted to secure a landslide victory the BBC reports.

While the final count will take several days due to the size of the country, projections suggest Labor is on track to win around 86 seats – an increase of nine – as the conservative Liberal-National coalition suffered a heavy nationwide defeat. The Coalition is expected to end up with approximately 40 seats, while the Greens are projected to win one or possibly two. A further nine seats are likely to go to independents and minor parties.

While an election largely ignored in other parts of the world, the re-election of the incumbent prime minister will be seen as something of a snub of populist right wing politics now finding favour in other parts of the world and is being closely watched in Washington where the Trump administration had reportedly eyed ties to a right-leaning leader in Canberra as ammunition against China in Asia-Pacific politics.

“Today, the Australian people have voted for Australian values: for fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all; for the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need,” Albanese told supporters in a May 3 victory speech.

The scale of the swing towards Labor – rare for a second-term government in Australia – makes Albanese the first prime minister in more than two decades to win back-to-back elections. It also marks a striking turnaround from earlier this year, when his approval ratings had slumped to record lows amid cost-of-living pressures, economic uncertainty, and growing public frustration.

Meanwhile, Coalition leader Peter Dutton, who lost his Queensland seat of Dickson after 24 years in parliament, conceded defeat and said he accepted “full responsibility” for the loss. “I apologise to my colleagues,” he added.

International reaction to the result came swiftly – initially from the UK but then the US where Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both congratulated Mr Albanese and expressed hopes of deepening bilateral ties with Australia.

The five-week campaign across the island continent was dominated by concerns over the cost of living, especially around housing affordability and access to healthcare. International issues also played a role, with the spectre of US president Donald Trump looming over the contest.

Dutton was frequently compared to President Trump, with critics pointing to his hardline stances on immigration, China, and public sector reform. Despite efforts to distance himself from those comparisons, the perception appeared to hurt his standing with voters.

Labor’s strong performance across the country also appears to have arrested the trend of voters drifting away from the two major parties, a shift that was pronounced in the 2022 election.

Despite the gains for Labor, many of the so-called “teal” independents retained their seats in conservative inner-city electorates. The Greens, meanwhile, saw a notable drop in support.

In his address, Albanese outlined his government’s priorities, including more affordable healthcare – especially general practitioner appointments – greater access to housing, and stronger action on climate change.