VIENNA, Austria — A political party known for advocating the removal of economic sanctions against Russia and promoting the “re-migration of uninvited foreigners” may soon spearhead Austria’s first far-right government since World War II, with Herbert Kickl, its provocative leader, at the forefront.
Negotiations to form a government without the far-right Freedom Party have recently fallen apart, following the party’s significant victory in September’s parliamentary elections. President Alexander Van der Bellen appointed Kickl on Monday with the task of assembling a coalition in the coming weeks or months.
Founded in 1956 by former Nazis, the Freedom Party has grown to become a significant political player in Austria, leading provincial governments and acting as a junior partner in national administrations, but it has never held the reins of national governance until now.
Austria’s current political landscape has been shaped by rising discontent among voters regarding immigration and inflation, which has facilitated the Freedom Party’s resurgence since its prior government involvement ended in scandal in 2019. In the recent elections, the Freedom Party garnered 28.8% of the vote, a sharp increase of almost 13 points compared to four years prior. The conservative Austrian People’s Party and the Social Democrats followed with 26.3% and 21.1%, respectively.
Typically, Austrian elections lead to coalition governments, but this time the situation proved particularly complex, as other party leaders were unwilling to enter a government alongside Kickl and the Freedom Party. Outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s efforts to forge a coalition without the far right failed due to disputes over budgetary and economic revitalization issues, ultimately leading to his resignation on Saturday.
Kickl, known for his sharp wit and controversial statements, stepped into the discussions with the president after Nehammer’s departure. Last year, he drew attention by ridiculing the aging president as “a mummy” and “senile.”
At 56 years old, Kickl has built a reputation for pushing boundaries and challenging the political status quo. He was once a speechwriter for the late far-right leader Jörg Haider and a prominent campaign strategist known for devising catchy anti-immigration slogans. He served as Austria’s interior minister from 2017 to 2019 when the Freedom Party participated in a coalition government and took on the leadership role in June 2021. During the COVID-19 crisis, he controversially endorsed ivermectin, a drug primarily used for treating parasitic infections, as a treatment for the virus.
Over the years, the Freedom Party has attracted some extremist elements; however, Kickl has distanced the party from a history marked by covert antisemitism. In 2015, after a lawmaker endorsed an antisemitic comment on social media, Kickl, serving as general secretary at that time, publicly condemned her actions. Additionally, while serving as a minister, his remarks suggesting that asylum seekers might be detained in concentrated areas for application assessments drew significant backlash.
As the European Union faces renewed challenges amid a resurgence of far-right politics, Austria’s stance has been particularly noteworthy. The 27-member bloc has consistently supported Ukraine amid ongoing tensions, yet Austria—upholding a policy of military neutrality—has refrained from supplying arms to Ukraine.
Concerns regarding the rise of hard-right movements remain pronounced in Europe, exacerbated by the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. in 2016, which inspired similar sentiments across the Atlantic. Activists, such as Alon Ischay of the Austrian Union of Jewish Students, have voiced apprehension over Kickl’s possible rise to power. His use of the term “Volkskanzler” (people’s chancellor), a designation historically associated with Hitler, has raised alarms, although Kickl has rejected these comparisons.
Ischay expressed that the notion of Kickl being granted the mandate to form a government is “unacceptable,” as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in opposition to this political direction. The Freedom Party’s pro-Russia stance and skepticism towards EU initiatives have called for a “Fortress Austria” strategy that seeks to reclaim authority from Brussels, coinciding with increasing public dissatisfaction over immigration and economic issues.
The Freedom Party is allied with a right-wing populist coalition in the European Parliament known as Patriots for Europe. Notable figures from other European parties, such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, have celebrated the Freedom Party’s electoral success, denoting it as an “historic victory,” while Dutch leader Geert Wilders expressed his belief in an upward trajectory for right-wing movements across Europe.
