Far Right surge continues in Europe as Freedom Party emerges at top in Austrian elections

Ruling centre-right People's Party is close second hoping to Formanti-FPO coalition

By Satyaki Chakraborty

The surge of the far right political parties continues unabated in Europe as the Austrian electorate voted most for the far right party Freedom Party (FPO) placing the ruling centre-right People's Party (OVP) in the second position. This was for the first time since the Nazi era that a far right party came close to capturing power in Austria.

In the general elections held on Sunday September 29, the FPO which campaigned on the plank of opposition to immigration and the presence of Muslims in the country got 29.2 per cent of the votes beating the ruling OVP of the chancellor Karl Nehammer which got 26.5 per cent. The opposition Social Democratic Party recorded its worst ever result at 21 per cent while the liberal NEOS got 9 per cent and the Greens 8.3 per cent.

The Communist Party looked unlikely to clear the 4 per cent ceiling for representation in Parliament. The Party has improved its support base in recent years by winning local elections in important regions and getting appreciation for its management of the local administrations.. The Austrian Communist Party (KPO) will assess the results after full area wise details are received.

The election results to Austrian Parliament are on line with the poll results in other European countries like France, West Germany and even Britain where despite Labour Party's big victory far right party of Farage has been able to make substantial gains. In France Marie Le Pen's far right party National Rally (RN) is in a controlling position of the new French government though the Party stood third in the July 7 elections, much behind the Left coalition National People's Front(NFP) which was deprived of the government formation by President Emanuel Macron. In Germany, the far right AFD surged in all the three regional elections . However they have been prevented to be part of the governments by other anti-AFD parties.

The fact is that in the last three years, the immigration issue and the youth unemployment have taken the centre stage of the election campaign in the European countries and the far right parties are taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of the common people with their governments. Even in Netherlands, the far right improved its position. FPO in Austria is looking at Hungary's President Viktor Orban as their model. Like Hungary, Austria has been facing a problem with asylum seekers from the Middle East and Ukraine and that is pushing a part of citizens to far right.

FPO's leader Herbert Kickl is considered as a ‘small Hitler' and he has called the ruling OVP for coalition as also other parties. But the OVP is not yet ready to form a coalition with FPO. The party is trying to have a coalition with other parties opposed to the FPO like the Social Democrats and the Greens. In fact a combination of OVP, Social Democratic Party and Greens will have a clear majority in Parliament.

Political analysts in Vienna say that the process of government formation after the hung Parliament verdict in Sunday's elections will be tortuous and long. Much will depend on Chancellor Nehammer's persuasive skills in forming such an anti far right coalition. FPO is waiting, so are the governments in other countries of Europe and the political parties.

(IPA Service)