Kickel’s far-right “opens a new era” with an unprecedented victory

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party has opened the door to a new era, its leader Herbert Kickl told supporters, as they celebrated an unprecedented election victory.

Kickl’s party won 28.9% of the vote according to provisional results, about three points ahead of the conservative People’s Party, which received 26.3%, but far short of a majority.

Kickl’s victory is the latest in a series of electoral successes for the far right in Europe, and he praised voters for their “optimism, courage and confidence” in presenting “a piece of history.”

The Freedom Party of Austria had participated in a coalition before, but the Austrian People’s Party, which ranked second, refused to participate in a government led by Kickl.

Keckel’s main rival, current Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the ÖVP party, said it was “impossible to form a government with someone who loves conspiracy theories.”

Turnout was high at 77.3%, as Austrian voters participated in elections dominated by immigration and asylum issues, as well as the deteriorating economy and the war in Ukraine.

As half of the map of Austria turned dark blue, FPÖ Secretary-General Michael Schindlitz said that “the men and women of Austria made history today,” although he declined to specify what kind of coalition his party would try to build.

Postal votes were still being counted on Monday morning, but analysis of voters suggests those aged between 35 and 59 are most likely to support the far right, with slightly more women than men.

Kickl’s party won 57 seats in the 183-seat parliament, compared to 51 for the conservatives and 41 for the Social Democrats, according to the expected results.

The leader of the fiery Freedom Party had promised the Austrians to build a “Castle of Austria” to restore their security, prosperity and peace.

The party wants strict rules on legal immigration, and has promoted the idea of ​​remigration, which involves sending asylum seekers to their countries of origin. It also wants to impose a ban on asylum as a step towards citizenship.

Herbert Kickl has closely aligned himself with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his alleged “illiberal democracy.” On Sunday night, Social Democratic Party leader Andreas Babler warned that Austria should not follow the same path as Hungary.

Keckel also spoke of becoming Volkskanzler (People’s Chancellor), which for some Austrians has echoes of the term used to describe Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany.

The FPÖ was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Two days before the vote, some of its candidates were videotaped at a funeral where the SS song was sung.

As the party’s victory became clear, a small group of demonstrators appeared outside parliament carrying anti-Nazi banners. One wrote: “Nazis, get out of parliament,” while another said: “Never let the Nazis rule.” [let them] He walks”.

Forming a coalition is likely to be complicated for Kickl, who is a divisive figure.

The Social Democrats, Greens and New York ruled out partnership with the far right.

The only possible coalition Kickl’s party could form is with the Conservatives, although the FPÖ would have to find a solution to the ÖVP’s refusal to appoint Kickl as chancellor.

When Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party won the Dutch elections last November, he abandoned his bid to become prime minister until three other parties agreed to form a coalition. However, Kickl is eager to lead his country, and promises the Austrians to serve as their “servant and protector.”

Political analyst Thomas Hofer told the BBC that it was by no means clear that Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen, who is overseeing the formation of the government, would give Kickl a “direct mandate to form a coalition.”

In theory, the Austrian People’s Party could form a coalition with the Social Democrats if the latest forecasts hold true, and could attract the Neu-Liberal Party or the Green Party.

Likewise, Karl Nehammer may come under pressure from within the ÖVP to abandon his objection. A prominent figure in the Austrian Freedom Party said that after this historic defeat he should resign, although the Secretary General of the Nehammer Party rejected this.

President Van der Bellen has in the past expressed reservations about the FPÖ due to its criticism of the European Union and failure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The party opposes European Union sanctions on Moscow, under the pretext of Austria’s neutrality, and many of its deputies withdrew from a speech delivered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before parliament in Vienna last year.

On Monday, Austrians had mixed feelings about the election results.

Nikolai Selikowski, a resident of Vienna that voted overwhelmingly for the Social Democrats, told AFP: “I find it really sad that people get so close to far-right ideas and ignore history.”

“It also shows the failure of the other parties in their inability to talk to each other constructively.”

“I ask myself what we did wrong in the last 75 years,” passenger Karen Grubert told Reuters. She expressed concern that Austria would shift further to the right if coalition talks failed.

But Josef Bender, a 57-year-old carpenter who voted for the Freedom Party of Austria, said there was no reason why other parties could not cooperate with Kickl.

“They also have to realize, the other parties, that if they invalidate 29% of voters, that’s actually not good, it’s undemocratic,” he added.

Some are concerned about what the Austrian Freedom Party’s immigration policy might mean for them.

“What I might fear is that not many will be allowed to stay here anymore,” Berat Oztoprak, a 22-year-old kebab seller in Vienna, told Reuters.

He added: “I was born in Austria and I know I belong here. I also spent two years in the army and have a badge. I also served the state for two years, pay my taxes, and have a badge.” They are nice to the people here, and they are just as nice to me.”

Kickl’s victory is the latest in almost a year of voting successes for far-right parties in Europe.

Italian Giorgia Meloni heads a right-wing coalition as leader of the far-right Brotherhood of Italy party, and the Alternative for Germany party topped the elections in the eastern state of Thuringia last month. The French National Rally party won the European elections last June.

In contrast to Kickl, the Italian Prime Minister gave her full support to the EU’s defense of Ukraine against the all-out Russian invasion.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, congratulated Kickl and posted a photo of them together. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally said, “This wave carries the defense of national interests.”After voting elsewhere in Europe, she confirmed “people’s victories everywhere.”

Geert Wilders said that times are changing, and that “identity, sovereignty, freedom and the freedom to resort to illegal immigration” are what millions of Europeans yearn for.

Kickl has exploited concerns about immigration in Austria, made the most of anger over the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic, and embraced conspiracy theories about mysterious cures for the virus.

For Kickl and his party, Sunday’s election victory represents a major rebound from 2019, when they came in a distant third in the wake of a video scandal involving their former leader.