A far-right leader could soon take over as head of EU member country Austria. Here’s why it’s important

VIENNA, Austria — A party that advocates an end to economic sanctions against Russia and calls for the “remigration of uninvited foreigners” could soon give Austria its first far-right-led government since World War II, with a leader with a provocative speech. style at his head.

Attempts to form a government without the far-right Freedom Party have failed in recent days, more than three months after its parliamentary election victory. President Alexander Van der Bellen on Monday instructed his leader, Herbert Kickl, to try to put together a coalition in the coming weeks or months.

The Freedom Party was founded in 1956 by former Nazis and over the decades became a well-established political force in Austria. He has led provincial governments and served as junior partner in national governments – but has never, until now, led a national administration.

Here is an overview of the context – and the stakes – if Kickl manages to form a new government:

The Freedom Party has come back strong since its last term in government ended in scandal in 2019, benefiting from growing voter anger over immigration and inflation.

In the September legislative elections, the party won 28.8% of the vote, a gain of almost 13 points compared to four years earlier. The ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party comes in second with 26.3% and the Social Democrats in third with 21.1%.

It is usual for Austrian elections to result in coalitions, but this result was particularly complicated because none of the other party leaders at the time were prepared to enter a government with the Freedom Party led by Kickl.

The president asked outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer to try to form a new government, but discussions on possible three-way and two-way coalitions without the far right failed over how to shape Austria’s budget and to revive the economy. On Saturday, Nehammer announced he would resign.

Van der Bellen then called on Kickl – a sharp-tongued provocateur who last year mocked the now 80-year-old president as a “mummy” and “senile” – for discussions that led to Monday’s bid for the Freedom Party to attempt to form. a new government.

The 56-year-old is known for deliberately overstepping accepted boundaries and shocking the political establishment.

A former speechwriter for former far-right leader Jörg Haider and a longtime campaign strategist who coined catchy and provocative anti-immigration slogans, Kickl served as interior minister from 2017 to 2019, when the Party of Liberty was a junior partner in a Conservative-led coalition government of the time. -Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He became leader of the Freedom Party in June 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kickl joined other critics of the World Health Organization in advocating the use of ivermectin, a drug intended to treat parasitic worms in animals, to treat the disease.

Nehammer said Kickl had become “radicalized” and it was “impossible to form a state” with him.

Over the years, the Freedom Party has attracted a neo-Nazi fringe, but it has publicly dissociated itself from decades of covert anti-Semitism. In 2015, a party MP was expelled for supporting an anti-Semitic comment on social media and Kickl, then the party’s general secretary, said she had “crossed a red line”.

While interior minister in 2018, Kickl denied any provocative intent when he said asylum seekers in Austria could be detained “in a concentrated manner in one place” while authorities assessed their requests.

Years after the financial crisis drove a wedge within the European bloc, and nearly five years after Brexit, the European Union faces a new sign of internal discord: The 27-member bloc has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, but unity is fraying.

Far-right movements have increased in the EU in recent years. The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election – who shares many of their values ​​and political positions – in November has further emboldened them.

The Freedom Party is both pro-Russian and skeptical of EU mandates, calling for an “Austrian fortress” capable of wresting decision-making power from Brussels. The party’s rise has coincided with voters’ growing anger over immigration and inflation.

The Freedom Party is part of a right-wing populist alliance in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, considered by many to be the most pro-Russian leader of any EU country, hailed “a historic victory” for the Freedom Party after Austria’s September elections. Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders said his movement was “winning” in Europe.

Austria, which has long pursued a policy of military neutrality, has not supplied weapons to Ukraine.

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Keaten contributed from Geneva.