September 29, 2024 marks a turning point in the political history of Austria. The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), a nationalist and identity party, favorable to Remigration, came first in the legislative elections with 28.8% of the votes. This exceptional performance represents an increase of 13 points compared to the 2019 elections. The conservative ÖVP party, led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, obtained only 26.3% of the vote, a significant decline of 11.2 points.
Herbert Kickl, the charismatic leader of the FPÖ, celebrated this success by declaring that a “new era” was dawning for Austria. He greeted his supporters by proclaiming: “It’s a piece of history that we wrote together today.” Kickl managed to make identity ideas ideas shared by a large part of the Austrian population – it is true that unlike the left, the identity right has never closed its eyes to the reality of the disastrous societal evolution of Europe.
A party anchored in identity ideas
Under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ established itself as a firmly nationalist party. He adopts an anti-immigration position marked by the promotion of “remigration”, a concept defended by the identity movement, aimed at sending back foreigners who do not respect Austrian rules.
The FPÖ shares its ideals with similar parties in Europe, such as Viktor Orban’s Fidesz in Hungary or the National Rally in France. Moreover, Marine Le Pen quickly congratulated the victory of the FPÖ on social networks, believing that this trend was part of a European “groundswell” after the results in Italy, the Netherlands and France.
A complex coalition to form
Despite his victory at the polls, Herbert Kickl will not automatically be appointed chancellor. With 29% of the votes, the FPÖ must form a coalition to govern, but potential allies are rare. The Austrian president, Alexander Van der Bellen, from the Green party, could refuse to give Kickl the mandate to form a government, the left having a habit of being angry with the popular will.
The outgoing chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has already ruled out any coalition with the FPÖ as long as Kickl remains at its head. This veto could force the FPÖ to remove its leader if it really wants to participate in government, but this seems unlikely given Kickl’s popularity within his party. If this fails, a grand coalition between the ÖVP and the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), which obtained a meager 21%, could see the light of day. Such a coalition would probably require the addition of a third force, such as the Liberal Party, thus creating a tripartite configuration unprecedented in Austria.
Whatever happens, Herbert Kickl is biding his time and does not hide his ambitions. As he told his supporters: “We are leading a liberation struggle against the system.”
Photo credit: DR
[cc] Breizh-info.com2024, dispatches free to copy and distribute subject to mention and link to the original source
Related News :