In Austria, the far right leads the legislative elections, according to initial estimates

INTERNATIONAL – It was expected, a populist wave is sweeping over Austria. After five years of an unprecedented tandem “ecological-conservative”the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is heading towards historic success in the legislative elections this Sunday, September 29, with 29.1% of the vote, compared to 26.2% for the conservatives (ÖVP), led by the chancellor Karl Nehammer, according to projections published at the close of voting by public television ORF.

These initial results are based on the counting of a portion of the postal votes and the ballots counted in the offices closed earlier.

An “earthquake”

In a context of the rise of radical parties in Europe, polls gave this formation founded by former Nazis at 27%, followed closely by the conservatives of the ÖVP (25%).

“I have a good feeling. The atmosphere is positive and I believe that we will transform the test into the ballot boxes”declared the leader of the FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, after voting in Purkersdorf, near Vienna. Status quo or “five good years, that’s the question”he said, repeating his campaign slogan.

A confirmed first place for the far right would cause an earthquake in the Alpine country, in the opinion of analysts, because if it has already tasted power, it has never finished at the top of a national election.

No party wants to govern with the leader of the FPÖ

But Herbert Kickl, so extreme that no party wants to govern with him, is far from guaranteed access to the chancellery. “It fuels fears, the FPÖ is always agitated and never has anything constructive to contribute”estimates Theres Friesacher, a 29-year-old researcher interviewed by AFP in the capital, recalling the chaos and “stories of corruption” during each of their visits to government.

Crushed in 2019 by the resounding Ibizagate scandal, the party recovered under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, who was hardly predestined to be in the spotlight and who thrived on the social and economic fears crossing the continent.

Close to certain criticized small groups, the one who wants, in the native country of Adolf Hitler, to be called like him “People’s Chancellor” (people’s chancellor), took up the term of « remigration »with the plan to strip their nationality and expel Austrians of foreign origin.