Austria’s far-right Freedom Party eyes unprecedented election win

Kickl’s use of the term Volkskanzler, which was used to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, has worried some Austrians.

For them it is an uncomfortable reminder of the FPÖ’s origins. It was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Protesters at the party’s final election rally on Friday night waved banners reading “Nazis out of parliament”.

Like other far-right European parties, the FPÖ combines tough rhetoric on immigration and Islam with promises to reduce what it regards as interference from Brussels in national affairs.

But Kickl has also aligned his party closely with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the self-styled champion of “illiberal democracy”, and shared a more conciliatory tone when it comes to Russia.

The Freedom Party leader has called European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a “warmonger” and opposes sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Political analyst Thomas Hofer says Kickl’s rhetoric has always been “very harsh and divisive”, but he believes election victory would not necessarily clear the way to heading a coalition government.

“Of course it would be a totally new situation in the history of the Second Republic in Austria, because the Freedom Party came close a couple of times, but was never in first place, at least not on the general election level,” he told the BBC.

The party stunned European politics under leader Jörg Haider in 1999, coming second in elections and joined a conservative-led government. When it joined a coalition in 2018, Herbert Kickl was interior minister, until the party became engulfed in corruption revelations.

Now as leader the fiery Kickl has steered his party to what could be its best result yet.

“It would be a kind of shockwave for the other parties, but it doesn’t mean if the FPÖ comes in first, that they also will get the position of chancellor. This is by no means clear,” Thomas Hofer said.

The FPÖ leader is widely disliked by other parties in Austria.

The conservative People’s Party, led by Austria’s current chancellor Karl Nehammer, has repeatedly excluded joining a Kickl-led government, although it has not ruled out an alliance with his party.