Herbert Kickl’s FPO Look Set To Reclaim Power as Austrians Head to Polls on Sunday

In a year that has seen an unprecedented number of elections around the world it will be the turn of the Austrians to head for the polls on Sunday for a general election that could result in the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), led by Herbert Kickl, reclaiming power.

Led by Kickl, the FPÖ has surged in the polls and could surpass the ruling conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) for the first time.

Just five years ago, the FPÖ’s involvement in government ended abruptly following the Ibiza-gate scandal, a corruption incident that shook Austrian politics.

Now, however, the FPÖ is on the verge of reclaiming power under the leadership of Kickl, whose divisive rhetoric has resonated with a significant portion of the Austrian electorate.

Currently, the FPÖ leads with about 27% of the vote in opinion polls, giving them a slight edge over the ÖVP, which trails by up to two points.

The Social Democrats (SPÖ) are projected to come in third, highlighting a tough political landscape where no party is expected to secure an outright majority. This means that coalition building will be a complex and difficult process, with several parties having already expressed reluctance to work with the FPÖ.

The FPÖ’s rise has been fueled by its stance on key issues such as immigration, inflation, and the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The war in Ukraine has also played into the party’s favour, with Kickl adopting a more conciliatory tone towards Russia and opposing EU sanctions against Moscow.

The FPÖ has also drawn attention by aligning itself with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s model of “illiberal democracy.” This Euroskeptic position, combined with their hardline views on migration, mirrors other far-right parties across Europe.

Herbert Kickl’s campaign has made a strong appeal to nationalist sentiments, with slogans like “Let’s build Fortress Austria!” and promises to restore citizens’ “freedom, security, and prosperity.”

Kickl, positioning himself as the “Volkskanzler” (People’s Chancellor), a term once used to describe Adolf Hitler, has caused unease among some Austrians.

This is particularly because the FPÖ’s roots trace back to former Nazis in the 1950s. At a rally on the final day of campaigning, protesters were seen holding signs declaring, “Nazis out of parliament,” reflecting the concern many Austrians feel about the party’s historical connections.

Despite the FPÖ’s potential electoral success, forming a government may prove challenging. Political analyst Thomas Hofer explains that although the FPÖ is poised to top the polls, it does not guarantee that Kickl will become the next chancellor.

In fact, his controversial persona and rhetoric have made him widely disliked by other political figures, including those within his own potential coalition partners. The current chancellor, Karl Nehammer of the ÖVP, has firmly ruled out working with Kickl as head of government. Similarly, Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen has expressed concerns about Kickl’s leadership.

Other parties, such as the Greens and Social Democrats, have also pledged not to enter into a coalition with the FPÖ. The Greens’ Climate Action Minister, Leonore Gewessler, stated that her party would not work with the FPÖ due to its stance on climate change and its tendency to “spread fear and conspiracy theories.”

As a result, if the FPÖ does come first in the election, the process of forming a government could be long and complicated, with negotiations likely dragging on for months.

Adding to the complexity of the election is the exclusion of nearly 1.5 million long-term residents from voting due to Austria’s strict citizenship laws. This means that around one in five residents, and up to one in three in Vienna, will be unable to cast their vote.

To protest this exclusion, a charity organised an unofficial election, the Pass Egal Wahl (or passport-doesn’t-matter election), which saw participation from nearly 20,000 people. One participant, Elisabeth Scherzenlehner, brought her class of refugees to the rally, emphasising the concerns many Austrians feel about the FPÖ’s rise, saying, “There will be no mercy if they come to power.”

As Austria prepares for a potentially transformative election, the future political landscape remains uncertain, with coalition talks expected to dominate the country’s political discourse for months to come.

Main Image: Par C.Stadler/Bwag — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88017853

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