Victory of the far right in Austria, a “shock wave”

Five years after experiencing the debacle, the Austrian far right came first in the legislative elections on Sunday, but without guarantee of being able to govern.

Savor this result. It’s a page of history that we wrote together todaysaid the leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, to his enthusiastic supporters gathered in Vienna. What we have accomplished is beyond my wildest dreams.

He obtained 28.8% of the votes, a jump of almost 13 points compared to the 2019 election, according to the count of almost all the ballots.

In a context of the rise of radical parties in Europe, this formation founded by former Nazis is doing even better than what the polls predicted, inflicting a setback on the eco-conservative government.

Mr. Kickl, so extreme that no party wants to negotiate with him, even if a coalition with his party is not excluded, deplored the attitude of his rivals.

In front of the message very clear addressed in the ballot boxes, we reach out to all partieshe declared, regretting that his voters were treated like second-class citizens.

Opposite, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, leader of the conservatives (ÖVP), who came second with 26.3% of the vote, noted the disappointment of his troops. We have not managed to catch up the extreme right, he lamented, addressing a somber audience.

At the headquarters of the FPÖbetween mugs of beer and traditional Austrian costumes, the atmosphere was much more joyful.

Erik Berglund, a 35-year-old waiter, says to himself ravi with a score that exceeded all his expectations. It’s a huge success because we have the best party leadercomments for Agence France-Presse this activist, who now expects exciting negotiations and long: We certainly won’t have a government before Christmas.

It’s undoubtedly an earthquake, a shock wavecommented Viennese political scientist Thomas Hofer. Indeed, if the far right had already tasted power in this Alpine country, it had never before finished at the top of a national election.

Populism and conspiracy speeches

Crushed in 2019 by a resounding corruption scandal, says Ibizagatethe FPÖ has spectacularly risen again under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, although he was not predestined to be in the spotlight and who has prospered on the social and economic fears that cross the continent.

Close to certain criticized small groups, the one who wants, in the native country of Adolf Hitler, to be called like him People’s Chancellor (people’s chancellor), took up the term of remigration with the plan to strip them of their nationality and expel Austrians of foreign origin.

This former Minister of the Interior, aged 55, was also able to attract supporters with his conspiratorial remarks against anti-COVID measures, the most deprived affected by inflation and all those sensitive to Austrian neutrality by condemning the sanctions against Russia.

It’s a ground swell Who confirms everywhere the triumph of the peoplesrejoiced about X Marine Le Pen, leader in France of the National Rally.

Despite a drop of more than ten points compared to 2019, theÖVPin power since 1987, has a good chance of retaining the chancelleryestimates analyst Julia Partheymüller.

But with which partners? The scenarios have to be written.

If Mr. Nehammer repeats that he does not want to ally with Herbert Kickl, he would be ready for a possible coalition with his party, as in 2000 and 2017.

Among the 6.3 million voters, many are counting on this scenario, like Bernd Lunglmayr, a 48-year-old health consultant. Any other outcome would surprise me a lothe said, thinking worried. In Austria, political memory is shortet the trend is towards populist parties in the Western world in this period of crises.

However, according to experts, the Conservatives will not agree to be the minority partner and may prefer to associate with the red social democrats (21.1%) and the liberals of NEOS (9.2%), a three-way format which would be a first in Austria.

With the Greens, in sharp decline (8.3%), there are many areas of contention and the divorce seems complete.