Herbert Kickl, the far-right leader of the Freedom Party, may ally with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán if he comes to power. The Freedom Party leads the polls.
VIENNA. “Austria first”, security and strict order and a clear NO to immigration.
With these policies, the pro-Russia and anti-EU Austrian Freedom Party FPÖ may become Austria’s largest party for the first time in the parliamentary elections held today, Sunday.
The Freedom Party leads opinion polls with 26 percent support. The current ruling party, the conservative ÖVP, is second in the polls by just a couple of percentage points, and the social democrats’ SPÖ is third.
There are difficult government negotiations ahead, where a coalition must probably be found between two major parties.
Jews and Muslims are afraid
Far-right leader of the Freedom Party Herbert Kickl has succeeded in exploiting the citizens’ widespread dissatisfaction with the governing parties.
Inflation, the corona pandemic, immigration and Russia’s attack on Ukraine have increased citizens’ uncertainty just like elsewhere in Europe.
Kickl is known for both his anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim views. In these communities, the fear of Kickli’s election victory is strong.
President of the European Jewish Congress Ariel Muzicant criticizes Kickli harshly. According to Muzicant, Kickli’s victory would not only cause problems for minorities, but also for Austrian democracy as a whole.
– Kickl and FPÖ want to “urbanize” Austria’s democracy, says Muzicant.
Kickl has said that he likes the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán as political as an example.
– If he wins, he would make radical changes to Austria’s structures and politics, says Muzicant.
– In Austria, the rise of the extreme right is particularly worrying because the party is largely made up of people we call basement Nazis, that is, they have radical right and neo-Nazi ideologies.
There is no so-called firewall in Austria, unlike for example in Germany and France, Muzicant points out. In these countries, the other parties have not agreed to allow the far-right or extreme right to power.
The Freedom Party of Austria, on the other hand, already wields a lot of power at the local level. It has also sat on the board twice. Now it may even reach the position of a government-former.
problems for the EU
If this happens, Austria may become the third country in the EU, in addition to Hungary and Slovakia, that opposes sanctions against Russia and supporting Ukraine.
This would clearly complicate the EU’s foreign policy and work Vladimir Putin in favor. Foreign policy decisions, such as agreeing on sanctions, still require the unanimity of all 27 EU countries.
The Freedom Party does not want Ukraine to join NATO either.
The party wants to repeal the EU’s Green Deal. Kickl calls climate protection alternately climate communism, alternately climate hysteria.
– We are not friends of Zelensky or the United States or NATO, we are friends of Austria, Kickl declared on Friday evening at the election conference in Vienna.
“Nothing should change”
Political scientist and political researcher Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerlen according to the Freedom Party voters yearn for the past times.
– They think that nothing should change. Or it would be even better if we went back to the past.
The Freedom Party has a lot of followers on social media, and it has also founded its own alternative media. According to Stainer-Hämmerle, its YouTube channel already reaches as many people as some of the news programs of the country’s public broadcasting company ORF.
The Freedom Party would probably want to limit the freedom of the press when it comes to power.
– Long before other populist parties in Europe started talking about “fake media” or “mainstream media”, the Freedom Party has criticized traditional media, especially public radio.
According to Stainer-Hämmerle, the Freedom Party is voted for because people want Herbert Kickli in power.
However, the Freedom Party may leave the government if Sunday’s victory is not big enough for it.
– It can wait a few more years, hoping that the political discontent will worsen even more. If the other parties continue to argue and are unable to solve problems such as immigration, the FPÖ can get even more support, says Stainer-Hämmerle.