Predictions say Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, led by leader Herbert Kickel, will achieve an unprecedented victory in the general election.
Forecasts based on preliminary results showed Kickel’s party with 29.1% of the vote, nearly 3 percentage points ahead of the conservative People’s Party’s 26.2%, but still far from a majority.
The Freedom Party (FPÖ) had previously been in coalition, but the second-place conservative People’s Party refused to join his government.
Kickel’s main rival, current Prime Minister Karl Nehammer of the People’s Party (ÖVP), said that “it is impossible to form a government with people who worship conspiracy theories.”
Some 6.3 million Austrians are eligible to take part in a campaign dominated by two issues: immigration and asylum, inflation and the war in Ukraine.
Michael Schneiderlitz, secretary-general of the Freedom Party, was pleased with the initial predictions, declaring that “the men and women of Austria have made history today”. He declined to say what kind of coalition his party would try to build.
They are expected to win about 57 seats in the 183-seat parliament, with 51 for the Conservatives and 41 for the Social Democrats.
Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickel promised the Austrians the building of an “Austrian Fortress” to restore their security, prosperity and peace.
He also talked about becoming People’s Prime Minister (People’s Chancellor) For some Austrians, the word echoes the word used in Nazi Germany to describe Adolf Hitler.
