Why the hard-right triumphed in Austria

The general elections in Austria have delivered a sensational result, with the hard right, pro-Putin Freedom party (FPO) coming out on top for the first time in the Alpine republic’s post-second world war history.

Projections after Sunday’s poll give the FPO 29 per cent – a three point lead over their nearest rivals, the conservative People’s party (OVP) under Chancellor Karl Nehammer on 26 per cent.

The result does not necessarily mean that the FPO will form the new government, as it lacks an absolute majority, and all the other parties have vowed not to form a coalition with the FPO’s victorious controversial leader, Herbert Kickl, a 55-year-old hardline former interior minister known for opposing lockdowns during the Covid pandemic. Speaking to his supporters at a rally in Vienna, Kickl said his party had opened a door to a ‘new era’, and called for change: ‘The voters have spoken with authority. This is a clear statement that things cannot continue like this in this country.’