2024-09-30 04:54:22
It was a real political earthquake in Austria. For the first time since 1945, the right won a national election. On Sunday September 29, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) came first in the legislative elections. He achieved the best score in his history, with 28.8% of the votes, beating his 1999 record, established at the time by the charismatic Jörg Haider. “We write history, The general secretary of the group, Michael Schnedlitz, on the ORF television channel was enthusiastic. We thank the architect of this achievement, Herbert Kickl. »
It is actually to Herbert Kickl, former interior minister and current party leader, that the FPÖ owes its remarkable return to favor. Herbert Kickl in the FPÖnotes political scientist Franz Fallend of the University of Salzburg. He managed in record time to get his party back on its feet and even surpass the previous scores. » In five years, this top-of-the-class politician has managed to forget the corruption of the scandal “L’Ibizagate” which, in 2019, led to the fall of his predecessor, Heinz-Christian Strache, and of the government which belonged to him.
“leader of the people”
Ascetic and hard, Kickl is a good philosopher who uses a deadly formula without revealing his intentions in public. He avoided traditional media and sought support from identity groups. “You are among the bravest among your group. He often sends signals to the extreme fringes, as when he declared himself the “leader of the people’s government”, a clear reference to the era of National Socialism.Notes Anton Shekhovtsov, director of the Center for Democratic Democracy, based in Vienna.
However, voters don’t seem to have focused on Herbert Kickl’s number but rather on the party system. According to an exit poll, 45% of voters voted for the FPÖ because of the proposed themes. This group, which makes the fight against illegal immigration its main focus, advocates suspending the right to asylum and the national preference for social welfare. At the international level, he pleaded for a strengthening of Austria’s neutrality and the refusal of European military aid to Ukraine.
Without insurance has been able to rule
Will Herbert Kickl be the first president in the history of the Republic from the top right? Nothing is more certain. In this parliamentary system, it is up to the President of the Republic, after the election, to choose a party to form the government. However, the current mayor, Alexander Van der Bellen, a convinced European, could refuse to give this mandate to Herbert Kickl with very Eurosceptic positions.
Another obstacle is the refusal of the conservative right (ÖVP), the only possible partner, to form a coalition with Herbert Kickl, who is considered too radical. Can an undivided personality replace it? Will the FPÖ agree to comply with such a request? The question is open. Without a partner, the winner of these legislative elections may well stand on the opposition bench.
Coming in second place, down eleven points during this election (26.3% of the vote), the right, on the other hand, placed itself as king. He can hope to stay in power by forming a center-right coalition, with the social democrats of the SPÖ (21.1% of the vote). Scientists (8.3%) and liberals of the Neos group (9.2%) completed the new Austrian Parliament. The clarity of the results of this election can only be deceptive. And the upcoming negotiations to promise a government to be troubled like the election campaign.
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