Historic victory for the far-right in Austria: 'First since World War II'

According to the initial results of the general elections held in Austria on Sunday, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has achieved a historic victory, becoming the first far-right party to win an election in the country since World War II.

According to the first official results, the Freedom Party of Austria finished the election in first place with 29.21 percent of the vote, while Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s party, the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), remained at 26.48 percent. According to the results, the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) received 21.05 percent, NEOS 8.96 percent, and the Greens 8.03 percent of the vote.

Based on these results, the FPÖ, which has previously found a place for itself in Austrian governments many times, has emerged victorious from an election for the first time.

With the FPÖ's victory, the far-right has emerged in first place in an election in Austria for the first time since the Nazi era. Celebrations began at the FPÖ headquarters as the election results became clear.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer

OTHER PARTIES DO NOT WANT TO ENTER A COALITION WITH THE FPÖ

On the other hand, the fact that other parties with power in parliament do not want to be part of a coalition with the far-right FPÖ has complicated expectations regarding the formation of a new government under FPÖ leadership. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl stated in his remarks after the election results were announced that they are open to cooperation with all parties in parliament.

Kickl said, 'It has never been as clear as it is today that the country needs to reconnect with the needs of the people.'

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, meanwhile, said that the disappointment of party members could be seen at the ÖVP headquarters.

In his statement regarding the results, Nehammer said, 'This was a race where we fought to close the gap, but we did not succeed.'

Nehammer promised to continue fighting for the interests of the citizens. The ÖVP, which suffered a major loss of power in the elections, had received approximately 37 percent of the vote in the 2019 elections.

Freedom Party of Austria Chairman Herbert Kickl

WHAT IS ON THE FPÖ'S AGENDA?

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) opposes Western countries' arms aid to Ukraine and argues that sanctions against Russia should be lifted.

FPÖ leader Kickl said in his speech concluding his election campaign on Saturday that the sanctions against Russia were harming Austria more than they were harming Russia.

Also known for its strict stance on immigration, the FPÖ further demands that social benefits be provided only to Austrian citizens, that the police force be increased, that a ban be placed on political Islam, that only two genders be constitutionally recognized, and that voters be able to topple incumbent governments through more frequent referendums.

News Source: İHA