Austria: Right-Wing Wins, Almost 30% in Favor of FPO
However, the party led by Herbert Kickle will have great difficulty in forming a government
“Thank you to every voter: today Austrians made history. The population was clearly in favor of change.” These were the words of FPO spokesman Michael Schnedlitz, who commented on the electoral triumph of the Austrian Freedom Party.
The far-right, nationalist, and anti-immigration party won 29.2% of the vote, double the result of the 2019 results. It is followed by the People’s Party (OVP), which leads the outgoing government with 26.5% (-11%), then the Social Democratic Party (SPO) with 21%. They are followed by the liberals NEOS (New Austria and Liberal Forum, 9%) and the Greens, in the government coalition of the last 5 years with 8%. Turnout was high: about 70% of Austrians came to the polls.
FPO leader Herbert Kickle commented on the result, saying he was “ready to lead a new government.” But finding allies won’t be easy, even though Kickle explained that he intends to “embrace all sides,” adding that he wants to build an “Austrian fortress” and asked other parties “what they think about democracy.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Karl Nehammer of the center-right OVP party immediately shut down all possibilities, explaining that he did not want to form a coalition with the FPO: “It was like that yesterday, it is like that today, and it will be like that tomorrow too.” Forming a new government will not be easy for Vienna.
