Austria's Far-Right Freedom Party Is Headed For Its First National Election Win | rssama.com

VIENNA (AP) — The Freedom Party was headed for nan first far-right triumph successful a nationalist parliamentary predetermination successful post-World War II Austria connected Sunday, finishing up of nan governing conservatives aft tapping into voters’ anxieties astir immigration, inflation, Ukraine and different issues, a projection showed. But its chances of governing were unclear.

A projection for ORF nationalist television, based connected counting of complete 90% of nan votes, put support for nan Freedom Party astatine 28.9% and Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party astatine 26.3%. The center-left Social Democrats were successful 3rd spot pinch 21%. The outgoing authorities — a conjugation of Nehammer’s statement and nan environmentalist Greens — mislaid its mostly successful nan little location of parliament.

Herbert Kickl, a erstwhile interior curate and longtime run strategist who has led nan Freedom Party since 2021, wants to beryllium chancellor.

But to go Austria’s caller leader, he would request a conjugation partner to bid a parliamentary majority. Rivals person said they won’t activity pinch Kickl successful government.

The acold correct has benefited from vexation complete precocious inflation, nan warfare successful Ukraine and nan COVID-19 pandemic. It has besides built connected worries astir migration.

In its predetermination program, titled “Fortress Austria,” nan Freedom Party calls for “remigration of uninvited foreigners,” for achieving a much “homogeneous” federation by tightly controlling borders and suspending nan correct to asylum via an emergency law.

The Freedom Party besides calls for an extremity to sanctions against Russia, is highly captious of Western subject assistance to Ukraine and wants to front retired of nan European Sky Shield Initiative, a rocket defense task launched by Germany. Kickl has criticized “elites” successful Brussels and called for immoderate powers to beryllium brought backmost from nan European Union to Austria.

“We don’t request to alteration our position, because we person ever said that we’re fresh to lead a government, we’re fresh to push guardant this alteration successful Austria broadside by broadside pinch nan people,” Kickl said successful an quality alongside different statement leaders connected ORF. “The different parties should inquire themselves wherever they guidelines connected democracy,” he added, arguing that they should “sleep connected nan result.”

Nehammer said it was “bitter” that his statement missed retired connected first place, but noted he brought it backmost from little canvass ratings. He has often said he won’t shape a conjugation pinch Kickl and said that “what I said earlier nan election, I besides opportunity aft nan election.”

More than 6.3 cardinal group were eligible to ballot for nan caller parliament successful Austria, an EU personnel that has a argumentation of subject neutrality.

Kickl has achieved a turnaround since Austria’s past parliamentary predetermination successful 2019. In June, nan Freedom Party narrowly won a nationwide ballot for nan first clip successful nan European Parliament election, which besides brought gains for different European far-right parties.

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose statement dominates the Netherlands’ caller government, congratulated nan Freedom Party connected societal web X Sunday. So did Alice Weidel, a co-leader of nan Alternative for Germany party.

The Freedom Party is simply a long-established unit but Sunday’s projected consequence would beryllium its champion yet successful a nationalist parliamentary election, beating nan 26.9% it scored successful 1999.

In 2019, its support slumped to 16.2% aft a ungraded brought down a authorities successful which it was nan inferior partner. Then-vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache resigned pursuing nan publication of a secretly recorded video successful which he appeared to connection favors to a purported Russian investor.

The leader of nan Social Democrats, a statement that led galore of Austria’s post-World War II governments, positioned himself arsenic nan polar other to Kickl. Andreas Babler ruled retired governing pinch nan acold correct and branded Kickl “a threat to democracy.”

While nan Freedom Party has recovered, nan fame of Nehammer’s People’s Party declined sharply compared pinch 2019. Support for nan Greens, their conjugation partner, besides was projected to driblet to astir 8%.

During nan predetermination campaign, Nehammer portrayed his party, which has taken a reliable statement connected migration successful caller years, arsenic “the beardown center” that would guarantee stableness amid aggregate crises.

But crises ranging from nan COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and resulting rising power prices and ostentation besides costs it support. The authorities besides angered galore Austrians successful 2022 pinch a short-lived coronavirus vaccine mandate, nan first successful Europe.

But nan caller flooding caused by Storm Boris that deed Austria and different countries whitethorn person helped Nehammer somewhat constrictive nan spread arsenic a situation manager.

The People’s Party is nan acold right’s only measurement into government, and now holds nan cardinal to forming immoderate administration.

Nehammer many times excluded joining a authorities led by Kickl, describing him arsenic a “security risk” for nan country, but didn’t norm retired a conjugation pinch nan Freedom Party itself — which would connote Kickl renouncing a position successful government. But that looks very improbable pinch nan Freedom Party successful first place.

The replacement would beryllium an confederation betwixt nan People’s Party and nan Social Democrats — pinch aliases without nan wide Neos, who took astir 9% of nan vote.

About 300 protesters gathered extracurricular nan parliament building successful Vienna Sunday evening, holding placards pinch slogans including “Kickl is simply a Nazi.”

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Associated Press videojournalist Philipp Jenne successful Vienna and newsman Geir Moulson successful Berlin contributed to this report.

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