On Sunday, the populist Freedom Party emerged as the leading party in Austria's National Council elections for the first time in history, another defeat for Europe's established political parties.
The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) won with an estimated 29.2% of the total vote, due to issues such as mass immigration, an EU-wide economic downturn, and growing opposition to support for the war in Ukraine.
The populist parties led by former Interior Minister Herbert Kickle were divided into two groups: the ruling neoliberal Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, with 26% of the vote; the left-wing opposition Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) with 21%; Forum (NEOS) with 9%, government coalition partner Green Alternatives (GRÜNE) with 8%; According to to kronen zeitung.
Initial predictions were that the Liberal Party would be allocated 58 seats in the Council of State, followed by the ÖVP with 52 seats and the SPÖ with 41 seats. The Liberal party NEOS is far behind, with 17 seats and the Green Party with 15. This result marks the first time in the Second Republic of Austria, and the first time since the Freedom Party was founded in 1956, that the FPÖ has come out on top in a national election.
Interestingly, a simultaneous survey of Austrian television stations ATV and Pulse found that there was little “gender gap” among Freedom Party voters, with about the same number of female voters (28%) favoring the Freedom Party as male voters (30%). I supported it. 24. Meanwhile, the FPÖ carried out clean-up operations in rural areas, small towns, and suburbs, while the left performed best in large cities.
Mr Kickle is a staunch opponent of coronavirus lockdown policies and serves as a leading critic of open border policies. called The party, which supports an immediate halt to asylum seekers in “Fortress Austria” and unapologetically upholds “immigration” policies that encourage foreigners to return to their homelands, is ready to govern after Saturday's victory. He said he has no intention of backing down from that position.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people. It was not easy to go against this political system. The voters sent a powerful message,” the FPÖ leader said.
While Sunday's result is undoubtedly historic, the 29 percent result is not much higher than the FPÖ's previous high of 26 percent in 1999. Still, it was a time when traditional ruling parties held more power nationally, and the winning party could. You can get results in the high 30s and even low 40s. Today's result is the lowest vote share for a leading party since 2013, and it is far from an outright majority, making the FPÖ's hopes of forming a coalition government very slim indeed.
It is far more likely that legacy establishment parties will come together from left and right to form a government that blocks the FPÖ in order to remove Kickle from power, a move that has become all too familiar in other European countries. In fact, former Austrian Chancellor Christian Cologne has already called on his Social Democratic Party and Soft Light People's Party to help form a new Austrian government. kronen zeitung memo.
Meanwhile, current ÖVP Prime Minister Karl Nehamaa has already ruled out forming a coalition with the Liberal Party. I'm saying “It's impossible to form a coalition with conspiracy theorists,” Kickle said.
Now, the only question is whether traditional right-wing and left-wing parties can put aside their small differences and agree to split government ministries between them. What is certain is that the centre-right/Green coalition that has been in power so far does not have enough support to continue.
Even if the prime minister manages to broker a new coalition government, it will all be painful for Kickle as the two losing parties unite to block the winner and struggle to overcome their differences in the public eye. , potentially making him a more powerful position for the regime. The next election, especially if the government collapses and the vote is held early. As the Austrian political scientist notes, attempts by traditional parties to demonize Kickle are already gaining votes for him.
Regardless of whether the Liberal Party becomes part of the next government, populists across Europe are hailing this victory as another major stepping stone to transforming the EU's political landscape.
Geert Wilders serves as the main power behind the Dutch government after leading his party to historic victory last year. I wrote In X, “Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, France, Spain, Czech Republic, and today Austria!”
“We are winning! Times are changing! Identity, sovereignty, freedom and a ban on illegal immigration/asylum are what tens of millions of Europeans aspire to.”
The FPÖ has previously ruled Austria as a quasi-governmental partner. Although subsequent revelations disarmed some of the key claims, the government collapsed in 2019 over the so-called “Ibiza scandal” over party funding fraud.
