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With both parliamentary and national elections held within four months, 2024 has undoubtedly been a critical year for Austria. And in both cases, the far-right has emerged victorious. Herbert Kickl’s party has secured 28.8% of the vote, leaving the other two major parties, OVP and SPO behind at 26.3% and 21.1% respectively, in the September 2024 parliamentary elections. Previously, the FPO won its first nationwide election in the June 2024 European Parliament elections with a vote share of 25.36%. This national and regional win of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) marks a significant shift in the EU dynamics as Austria prepares to join the likes of Germany, Netherlands, Italy and France in witnessing similar political outcomes. The political landscape of Austria has been marked by widespread dissatisfaction among its citizens concerning politics and politicians, mainly due to the mishandling of the multi-crises Vienna has faced since 2019. This has led to polarisation among the masses and a victory for the FPO which has been successful in banking on the miseries of the public.
The FPO has had a controversial, turbulent relationship with the Austrian public and government since its inception. The party was founded as a liberal, anti-Kremlin organisation in 1956 by a group of former Nazi officials, with the first two party chiefs former members of the SS. However, for over three decades the party fluctuated between extreme right and centrist politics, before ultimately solidifying its identity as an anti-elite, populist far-right party under the charismatic leadership of Jörg Haider. Haider pivoted the party’s rhetoric by focusing on issues such as sudden surges in immigration and capitalising on nationalistic sentiments and anti-EU discourse. The soaring popularity of Haider improved the party’s performance to 27.2% in the parliamentary elections of 1999. As a result, the party (as a coalition with the Austrian People’s Party, OVP) came to power in 2000, for the first time since its inception. Nonetheless, the FPO and its purportedly racist leadership were not welcomed with open arms within the EU and the party had to step down from its position soon after.
The rise of FPO in Austria
The FPO banks its popularity from two largely discussed ideologies in Vienna, nativism and euroscepticism. Though not in the party’s agenda when it was launched, these topics became the face of the FPO under Haider’s premiership. Following in his footsteps, Herbert Kickl has adopted the agenda and heavily relied on the public’s dissatisfaction with these issues which is evident from the policies and programmes proposed in his party’s manifesto. On the issue of migrants, the FPO suggested a harsh concept of ‘remigration’ and stressed on the need of a remigration commissioner while relentlessly campaigning its slogan of ‘Fortress Austria’. Remigration refers to sending back asylum seekers to their country of origin, especially if they fail to integrate and assimilate with the Austrian rules and regulations.
Given that approximately 26.7% of the Austrian population includes residents with a foreign background, the government’s — and related political affiliations’ concerns — are justifiable, as a rapidly growing population puts an added strain on the country’s resources and services. Nevertheless, the FPO has time and again associated immigration with criticism of Islam, a tactic co-opted by the OVP to secure its position in domestic politics. The intermixing of a political affairs with religion has resulted in a racist and xenophobic environment for Muslims residing in the country. Sebastian Kurz, former Chancellor of Austria and chairman of OVP implemented policies allegedly targeted only at radical Islamists to reduce the scope of political islam in the country. However, the impact of these policies on the Austrian Muslim population was indiscriminate. This has formed the FPO’s foundation and given a practical framework to its long preached philosophy.
The secondly widely discussed and equally vital point of contention is Austria’s EU membership. For the FPO, identity and freedom are of paramount importance. Therefore the idea of sharing its sovereignty with the EU does not go well with its goal. The party has often been seen aligning itself with groups such as ‘Patriots for Europe’ and idolising controversial figures such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban. Yet, the party limits itself to criticising the EU but stops short at arguing for Austria to leave the union. They advocate national decision-making in issues such as in the judicial arena. On the other hand, the member states of the EU have been sceptical of the government, often displaying their disapproval of the party and what it stands for. In 2000, when it joined the OVP in a coalition, the EU headed by Portugal, the then holder of the union’s presidency, announced their refusal to cooperate with Vienna, retracting their backing for Austrian officials in an international organisation. This immediate and strict response corresponded with the EU’s stated core values of upholding liberty, equality, democracy, human rights, and rule of law.
The FPO’s proximity to the Kremlin is also a matter of concern. In 2014, the party called for an end to the EU sanctions towards Russia during its annexation of Crimea. In 2016, FPO became the first and only party in Europe to sign a partnership deal (Freundschaftsvertrag) with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. In 2019, the FPO was at the centre of a scandal wherein former Austrian deputy chancellor and leader of the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ), Heinz-Christian Strache was caught providing large-scale public contracts to an alleged heiress of a powerful Russian oligarch in exchange for campaign support. Most recently, ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the FPO has been against the EU aid to Ukraine and the sanctions imposed against Russia.
What lies ahead?
Even though Kickl’s party has managed to secure the largest share of the vote, it does not necessarily mean that the FPO will successfully form a government. To form the government, a party needs at least 92 out of 183 seats, which Kickl’s party falls short of as they currently do not hold a parliamentary majority and other parties have show reluctance to join them in forming a coalition. The OVP has strategically refused to collaborate with Herbert Kickl but has not opposed the possibility of a coalition with the party altogether. Given the current circumstances, it seems the most likely outcome that the OVP and FPO will form the government together, without Kickl in the picture.
Considering the election results, it is apparent that the Austrians have resonated with the message and core issues touted by the FPO, while caring little for the party’s controversial history. The FPO voters, like most supporters of the right-wing across Europe, are marred by economic shocks and the resulting social tensions. The feeling of economic insecurity experienced through unemployment and rising food and energy prices have fuelled the anti-immigration sentiment. Given the status quo of Austria, it seems that they do not have enough choice to turn to any other party. However, the party’s approach to satisfy its citizens wants is questionable. The normalisation of racism and xenophobia is alarming, and the increasing hostility towards the regional bloc and closer ties with the Kremlin have put Austria in the spotlight. Moreover, as another country comes under the right-wing influence, the already divided EU arena becomes further complex and it may inspire such hardline parties and movements, thus testing the EU’s cohesion. Whether or not the FPO wins in forming the government, right-wing policies and politics continue to gain momentum.
- With an FPO government, is Austria at the risk of being isolated from the EU?
- Given the hostile treatment of people of certain backgrounds due to politics, how can political polarisation be addressed and tackled in Austria?
- Is Austria set to become the next Hungary under the FPO?
Suggested Readings:
- Farid Hafez, “How Prominent Muslims in Austria Were Painted as Enemies of the State”, New Lines Magazine, 2024
- Patrick Moreau, “The FPÖ and the challenge of Europe: Ideological radicalism and electoral constraints in Austria”, Fondapol, 2024
- Nigel Jones, “What explains the rise of Austria’s Freedom Party?”, The Spectator, 2024
