The far right wins legislative elections in Austria – DW – 09/29/2024

With 96.7% of the votes counted, the Austrian extreme right won a historic victory in the legislative elections this Sunday (09/29/2024), although there were no guarantees of being able to govern.

Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl told his supporters gathered in Vienna, “Together we made history today (…). What we have achieved exceeds all my dreams.”

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) received 28.8% of the vote, an increase of 13 points compared to the 2019 elections. The group has been in government several times, but this is the first time it has won the national vote.

The conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), the current ruling party led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, came in second place with 26.3%. Addressing his supporters, Nehmer lamented, “We failed to reach the far right”.

However, Kikal is far from guaranteed the post of head of government and he may even be excluded from the coalition cabinet, as no party wants to be associated with his formation.

Rise of far-right parties in Europe

After learning of the first estimates, the leader said he would reach out to all parties in Parliament following this “very clear” message from voters. The country must “reconnect with the needs of the population”, he said. “Our hand is extended in all directions,” he said.

In the context of the rise of far-right parties in Europe, this formation founded by former Nazis has recorded better results than polls had predicted.

Since 2021, when Kickl took control of the FPÖ, the party’s popularity grew due to voter anger over issues such as immigration, inflation and restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as has happened with other extreme parties in Europe.

After five years of an unprecedented coalition of conservatives and environmentalists in power, the far right’s advance represents a earthquake in Austria, where the FPÖ has previously formed a government but never led a national vote.

RR (AFP/ORF/EFE/Reuters)