For the last few years the radical right Freedom party of Austria (FPÖ) has dominated opinion polls, outpacing historically mainstream parties such as the People’s party (ÖVP) and Social Democratic party (SPÖ). After devastating floods wreaked havoc in eastern Austria in early September, it appeared that the FPÖ might face renewed competition from the governing ÖVP, which presented itself as the chief manager handling the floods, and the Green party seemed poised for a resurgence. However, the recent national elections have yielded results that even the most pessimistic observers might not have anticipated.
In a historic first, the FPÖ under the leadership of Herbert Kickl won the national elections with 28.8% of the vote, surpassing the previous record held by his mentor Jörg Haider in 1999. This is the first time in postwar Austrian history that a party originally established by ex-Nazis, for ex-Nazis, won the national parliamentary elections. Kickl, the party’s leader and a hardline ideologue, pledged to become Austria’s volkskanzler (people’s chancellor), a term that has its roots in Nazi rhetoric. By openly advocating for what he calls “remigration” – the idea of pressuring people of colour to return to their perceived homelands – he presents the new right’s ideology in more palatable language. In addition, Kickl skilfully mobilised growing public discontent stemming from the management of the pandemic, as well as soaring inflation rates, to gain traction among disillusioned voters.
