Austrian voters have given the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) its first-ever general election victory, as indicated by vote projections, highlighting the increasing support for right-wing parties across Europe, driven by concerns over immigration levels.
The Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly FPO maintained a narrow lead in opinion polls for several months over Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), with the campaign largely focused on immigration and economic anxieties.
Under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, the FPO was projected to garner 29.1% of the vote, placing it ahead of the OVP with 26.2% and the centre-left Social Democrats at 20.4%, according to a projection from pollster Foresight for broadcaster ORF shortly after polls closed.
Another projection from pollster Arge Wahlen also showed the FPO coming in first, winning by approximately 4%, which indicated a larger margin than what the final polling had suggested.
“If this occurs, I must say that the role of Austria in the European Union would change significantly,” she commented.
She further remarked that Mr. Kickl “has frequently declared that (Hungarian Prime Minister) Viktor Orban is a role model for him, and he will support him fully.”
Mr. Kickl, who established an alliance with Mr. Orban this year, is against providing assistance to Ukraine and seeks the withdrawal of sanctions against Russia, arguing they are causing more harm to Austria than to Moscow.
Celebrations erupted among FPO staff and activists during a party event in Vienna upon the announcement of the election projections.
An FPO win would mark Austria as the latest EU nation to experience a rise in far-right support.
However, Mr. Kickl’s victory may be a pyrrhic one, as the 55-year-old is a contentious figure, with other party leaders having declined to serve under him.
In a televised discussion following the projections, Mr. Nehammer reiterated his refusal to create a government with Mr. Kickl, although he has not completely ruled out collaborating with the FPO as a party.
Emphasizing his party’s success, Mr. Kickl expressed his willingness to engage all parties in discussions about forming a coalition.
‘Fortress for Austria’
The FPO’s victory, characterized by its criticism of Islam and commitments to tighten asylum regulations, follows similar gains by far-right parties in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
Sarah Wolf, a 22-year-old graphic designer and supporter of the Austrian Communist Party in Vienna, expressed her concerns before the vote, stating she feared that an FPO victory could lead to a situation similar to Viktor Orban’s regime: “a slow, gradual reduction in media diversity, democracy, and understanding,” she remarked.
“There are just so many really dangerous signs,” she added.
Viktor de Lijzer, a 17-year-old soldier and FPO supporter, argued that the party was best positioned to address the increased criminal violence he attributes to immigration.
The FPO seeks to construct a ‘Fortress Austria’ to prevent migrants from entering.
President Alexander Van der Bellen, who is responsible for overseeing government formations, has expressed reservations about the FPO due to its critical stance on the EU and its reluctance to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The party opposes EU sanctions on Moscow, invoking Austria’s neutrality as justification.
He has suggested that he might obstruct Mr. Kickl, noting that the constitution does not obligate him to ask the leading party to form a government, even though this convention has been followed historically.
The FPO, which aims to cease granting asylum and establish a “fortress Austria” to block migrant entry, was originally founded in the 1950s under a former Nazi politician.
Although the party has tried to soften its image, recent controversies arose over its past, highlighted by a video published by newspaper Der Standard showing party members at a funeral where a song favored by the Nazi SS was performed.
A Jewish student group in Vienna has subsequently lodged a complaint against FPO members, accusing them of violating anti-Nazi laws.
The FPO did not promptly respond to a request for commentary.
