In a significant turn of events, Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is on the verge of potentially clinching its first national election victory. Recent polls indicate a narrow lead for the FPO, spearheaded by Herbert Kickl, a former interior minister whose controversial past includes dismissal due to the notorious Ibiza scandal. As the FPO garners approximately 27% support, it sits just two points ahead of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), which has secured 25%. Notably, neither party is expected to achieve an outright majority in the upcoming election. The FPO marked a pivotal milestone earlier this year by winning six seats in the European Parliament elections, reflecting a broader trend of rising far-right influence across Europe. This shift in fortunes is a stark contrast to the FPO’s struggles in 2019, when a scandal involving former leader Heinz-Christian Strache led to a significant decline in support, plummeting to just 16.2%.
Under Kickl’s leadership, the FPO has aggressively campaigned on key issues such as immigration, inflation, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The upcoming election’s polling will close at 5 PM local time, with results anticipated shortly thereafter. The FPO’s election manifesto outlines a range of controversial policies aimed at reshaping Austria’s political and social landscape. Central to their platform is the call for the “remigration of uninvited foreigners,” an initiative designed to create what they term a “homogeneous” society by tightening border controls and suspending asylum rights through proposed “emergency laws.”
In addition to these immigration policies, the FPO is staunchly opposed to sanctions against Russia and criticizes Western military assistance to Ukraine. Kickl recently argued that these sanctions are detrimental to Austria, citing concerns over potential economic fallout, including rising unemployment. The party’s plans also include maintaining a no-new-tax policy, providing tax incentives for young workers, and linking welfare benefits to citizenship. Other proposals include increasing police presence, implementing a ban on “political Islam,” enshrining a two-gender determination in the constitution, and facilitating more referendums to empower citizens to remove cabinet members.
Herbert Kickl’s rise to prominence has not been without controversy. Following the Ibiza scandal, he became the leader of the FPO in 2021. His use of the term “volkkanzler” (chancellor of the people) has drawn parallels to Nazi terminology, a comparison Kickl has vehemently denied. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in anti-lockdown demonstrations and controversially labeled Israel’s vaccination efforts as “health apartheid.” His reluctance to condemn comparisons between lockdown measures and the Holocaust has sparked considerable backlash. Kickl’s tensions with the broader political landscape were evident when he and fellow FPO members walked out during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Austrian parliament.
While the FPO leads the polls, the prospect of securing an outright majority seems unlikely. Political analysts anticipate that if the FPO wishes to govern, it will likely need to partner with the OVP. However, current Chancellor Karl Nehammer has made it clear that he will not form a coalition government with Kickl involved, labeling him a “security risk.” Nehammer emphasizes that this election is a choice between maintaining a stable political path or yielding to radical promises. As Austria heads to the polls, the outcome will not only shape the country’s immediate future but will also reflect the ongoing ideological shifts within European politics, as far-right parties continue to gain ground across the continent.
Read more at Sky News.
