Getty ImagesAustrians vote on Sunday in a general election that could see the Freedom Party (FPÖ), a far-right opposition party, top the polls for the first time.
Five years ago, the party collapsed from a coalition government with the conservative People’s Party due to a corruption scandal nicknamed Ibiza-gate.
But now, led by Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ is within reach of a historic victory. In the polls, he is narrowly ahead of the ruling conservatives, and the opposition Social Democrats are in third place.
Even if the Freedom Party comes out on top, no party is expected to win enough seats for an absolute majority, and building a coalition is likely to be difficult.
The FPÖ has successfully exploited concerns about immigration, rising inflation, the war in Ukraine and anger over the handling of the Covid pandemic and has been hovering around 27% in the polls for months, up to ‘two points ahead of the conservative ÖVP. , which predicts a “photo finish”.
“The odds have never been greater,” says one of his campaign videos. “As Volkskanzler (people’s chancellor) Herbert Kickl will do everything to restore your freedom, your security, your Work stand (prosperity) and your peace… Let’s build Fortress Austria!
It then shows Kickl saying he wants to be “your servant and protector”.
Kickl’s use of the term Volkskanzlerused to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, worried some Austrians.
For them, it is an uncomfortable reminder of the origins of the FPÖ. It was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Protesters at the party’s final campaign rally Friday night held banners reading “Nazis out of Parliament.”
Like other far-right European parties, the FPÖ combines tough rhetoric on immigration and Islam with promises to reduce what it sees as interference from Brussels in national affairs.
But Kickl also aligned his party closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the self-styled champion of “illiberal democracy,” and shared a more conciliatory tone toward Russia.
The Freedom Party leader called European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a “warmonger” and opposes sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Political analyst Thomas Hofer believes that Kickl’s rhetoric has always been “very harsh and divisive”, but he believes that an electoral victory would not necessarily pave the way for leading a coalition government.
“Of course, this would be a completely new situation in the history of the Second Republic in Austria, because the Freedom Party came close to it several times, but was never in first place, at least not in the first place. level of legislative elections,” he declared. the BBC.
The party stunned European politics under the leadership of Jörg Haider in 1999, coming second in elections and joining a conservative-led government. When he joined a coalition in 2018, Herbert Kickl was interior minister, until the party was plunged into corruption revelations.
Now, as leader, the fiery Kickl has led his party to what may be its best result yet.
“It would be a kind of shock wave for the other parties, but that does not mean that if the FPÖ comes first, they will also get the post of chancellor. That is not at all clear,” said Thomas Hofer .
The FPÖ leader is widely hated by other parties in Austria.
The conservative People’s Party, led by current Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, has repeatedly ruled out joining a Kickl-led government, although it has not ruled out an alliance with his party.
ReutersAustrian President Alexander Van der Bellen also expressed his reluctance to see Kickl lead the country.
Other parties, including the Social Democrats and the Greens, have also said they will not form a government with the FPÖ.
“No coalition with the far right,” Greens climate action minister Leonore Gewessler told the BBC.
“We will not work in a coalition with the far-right FPÖ, which denies climate change and only divides our society and spreads fear and conspiracy theories.”
Under Karl Nehammer, conservatives presented the vote as a choice between the outgoing chancellor or Kickl, seeking to attract centrist voters with slogans like “Vote Stability” and “Vote Center.”
Nehammer said it was “impossible to form a government with someone who loves conspiracy theories.”
Thomas Hofer highlights the lack of vision, both on the part of the conservatives and the social democrats: “One of the main reasons why (the FPÖ) could make this comeback is certainly the weakness of the others.”
According to him, the formation of a coalition government could take months.
Although some 6.3 million Austrians aged 16 or older will be able to vote in Sunday’s election, 1.5 million long-term residents will not have this right due to Austria’s highly restrictive citizenship laws.
Nationwide, this means that almost one in five people are excluded, while in Vienna the proportion reaches one in three.
To highlight this issue, a charity organized an unofficial vote which attracted almost 20,000 people called Skip Equal Wahl – which results in an election that is irrelevant for the passport.
Elisabeth Scherzenlehner, who teaches German to refugees, took her class to the campaign group’s gathering in Vienna.
“I think the FPÖ is a very strong negative voice, and I think there will be no mercy if they manage to rule Austria,” she said.
