The far right won the most votes in an Austrian election for the first time since the Nazi era on Sunday, as the Freedom party (FPÖ) rode a tide of public anger over migration and the cost of living to beat the centre-right People’s party (ÖVP) by three percentage points, according to early projections. Preliminary results indicated that the pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPÖ had surpassed expectations to take about 29% of the vote, comfortably ahead of the ruling ÖVP of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, on just over 26%. The opposition Social Democratic party scored its worst ever result – 20.
6% – while the liberal NEOS drew about 9%. Despite devastating flooding this month from bringing the climate crisis to the fore, the Greens, junior partners in the government coalition, tallied just below 9% in a dismal fifth place. The Communist party and the apolitical Beer party looked unlikely to clear the 4% hurdle to representation.
Turnout was high at about 78%. Profiting from a rightwing surge in many parts of Europe and taking Hungary’s as a model, the FPÖ capitalised on fears around migration, asylum and crime heightened by the August in Vienna over an alleged Islamist terror plot. Mounting inflation, tepid economic growth and lingering resentment over strict government measures during Covid dovetailed into a 13-point leap in support for the FPÖ since the last election in 2019.
Its polarising lead candidate, Herbert Kickl, who campaigned using the “people’s chanc.