VIENNA: Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) has emerged victorious in Sunday’s national elections, surpassing the ruling conservative People’s Party (OeVP) for the first time in the Alpine EU nation’s history.
Preliminary projections show the FPOe garnering approximately 29.1 percent of the vote compared to the OeVP’s 26.3 percent.
The election results reflect a growing discontent among voters, fueled by issues such as migration, inflation, and the handling of COVID-19 restrictions.
Under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, who took the helm of the party in 2021 following a series of scandals, the FPOe has seen a remarkable resurgence. Kickl expressed his readiness to form a coalition with “each and every one” of the parties in parliament, emphasizing the need to reconnect with the population’s concerns.
“It can’t be any more clear than today,” Kickl stated on national television, asserting that the FPOe’s victory indicates a desire for political change among Austrians.
At the FPOe headquarters, celebrations erupted as supporters clad in traditional Austrian attire raised glasses in jubilation. “It’s a real success… It will be a very, very exciting time,” said Erik Berglund, a 35-year-old waiter, lauding Kickl as a competent leader.
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Meanwhile, Chancellor Karl Nehammer acknowledged the disappointment within the OeVP ranks, having previously managed to close the gap in opinion polls. “It was a race to catch up, and unfortunately we didn’t manage it,” he remarked.
The OeVP’s support has plummeted from over 37 percent in the previous election in 2019, and the Greens, who governed alongside them, have also suffered, dropping to 8.3 percent from nearly 14 percent. More than 6.3 million of Austria’s nine million residents were eligible to vote.
Kickl has been a vocal critic of EU sanctions against Russia and promotes the controversial notion of “remigration,” which aims to expel non-European ethnic individuals deemed unsuccessful in integrating into society.
Political analysts describe the FPOe’s win as an “earthquake” that sends shockwaves through Austria’s political arena. While the FPOe topped the polls, Nehammer may still have a path to remain in power if he forms a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPOe), who are projected to receive 21 percent of the vote, and possibly the liberal NEOS party, which stands at 9 percent.
Such a coalition would mark the first time a three-party government governs Austria, but analysts suggest it could face significant challenges given the rightward shift among the electorate. Alternatively, a coalition between the FPOe and the OeVP remains a possibility, especially considering their shared stances on immigration and other key issues.
The FPOe, which has long been a contentious force in Austrian politics, previously entered a government with the conservatives in 2000, triggering widespread protests and sanctions from the EU.
