The right-wing populists in Austria are celebrating the best day in their party’s history. The party benefits from the discontent among the population. Now the Federal President speaks out.
“What I said before the election, I will also say after the election.” After the parliamentary elections, Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer is sticking to his rejection of cooperation with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. The big election winner Kickl, for his part, hopes: “I think there will be some movement in the matter.”
The parliamentary election in Austria has significantly shaken up the political balance of power. According to projections, the right-wing FPÖ celebrates a historic victory with 28.9 percent. The right-wing populists are clearly ahead of the power-spoiled ÖVP (26.3 percent) and the once again disappointing social democratic SPÖ. The Social Democrats are only in third place for the first time with around 21 percent, as shown by data from the Foresight Institute on behalf of ORF.
Kickl sees the election victory as a signal for a change of direction in Austria. “The voters have spoken today,” he said in his first reaction. The voters “made a clear commitment that things cannot continue like this in this country.”
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will personally get involved in exploring possible cooperation between parties. The head of state announced that he would soon hold talks with every party represented in parliament. “I will try to explore what viable compromises there could be. Who can work with whom and who wants what for Austria.” In any case, basic political pillars such as the protection of minorities, media freedom and EU membership cannot be shaken.
The election result is a turning point for Austria in several respects. The ÖVP and SPÖ have never been so weak at the same time. The ÖVP, with Chancellor Karl Nehammer at the helm, recorded one of its worst election results. According to election researchers’ findings, the FPÖ benefited enormously from the great discontent among the population. Austria is deep in an economic downturn and unemployment is growing. In addition, the Alpine republic has been one of the EU countries with particularly high inflation in recent years. In addition, the FPÖ’s strict anti-migration policy is considered popular.
According to the information, the Greens can expect 8.3 percent (minus 5.6 percentage points), the liberal Neos with 9.2 percent – that would be a small plus. The Neos in particular positioned themselves as a force willing to reform during the election campaign and are hoping for a three-party coalition with the ÖVP and SPÖ. “We are ready. Without us nothing will change,” said Neos boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger. The Beer Party and the communist KPÖ clearly failed at the four percent hurdle. In total, almost 6.4 million citizens were called upon to elect a new parliament. Most recently, the country was governed by a coalition of the ÖVP and the Greens.
The FPÖ’s significant gains are in line with the Europe-wide right-wing trend. Right-wing parties have gained popularity across Europe, for example in the Netherlands Geert Wilders and his right-wing radical Party for Freedom (PVV), the Italian right-wing party Fratelli d”Italia (Brothers of Italy) with Giorgia Meloni at the head and the right-wing national Rassemblement National (RN ) with Marine Le Pen in France. In Germany, the AfD achieved great success in the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg.
In its election program, the FPÖ promoted an extremely restrictive migration policy under the motto “Fortress Austria – Fortress Freedom”. The party calls for migrants to be returned to their home countries and wants “homogeneity” in society as a counter to the diversity that is often sought internationally. When it comes to foreign policy, the FPÖ is extremely critical of the EU. Despite the war in Ukraine, it is taking a rather benevolent course towards Russia and sees no problem with Austria’s dependence on Russian gas.
