Herbert Kickl Photo: EPA
Europe’s far-right forces continue to grow in influence, winning new electoral victories. This time, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), known for its tough anti-immigration stance, has won a significant result in the regional elections in Vorarlberg, AFP reports.
The FPO posted an impressive 14 percentage point increase, garnering around 28% of the vote. This significant achievement came just two weeks after the far-right won parliamentary elections across the country, and indicates growing support for the right in society.
The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), led by Governor Markus Wallner, retained its first position in Vorarlberg. Despite losing five percentage points, the party received about 38% of the vote and continues to lead the region.
The Green Party, which is part of a national coalition with the ÖVP, received 12% of support. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the liberals from NEOS received around 9% each.
This result in Vorarlberg underscores a pan-European trend of increasing popularity of far-right movements. Similar gains have been recorded in other Western European countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and France. This indicates a significant change in political attitudes across the region.
However, despite the local successes, the impact of the regional election results on the federal level remains in doubt. Although the Freedom Party triumphed in the national elections in late September, other political forces have so far refused to form a coalition with the FPO under its leader Herbert Kickl. Former Chancellor Karl Negammer (ÖVP) retains a key role in the government formation talks that will begin in Vienna in the coming days.
At the moment, the most likely scenario is that the ÖVP will form a coalition with the Social Democrats and possibly NEOS. However, at the regional level, the ÖVP and FPO may find common ground, especially given their shared hardline stance on migration and criticism of environmental initiatives.
FPO leader Herbert Kickl called the success in Vorarlberg a clear signal for Austrian politics. He said that this result shows a loss of confidence in “political experiments” in Vienna, hinting at possible coalitions that are formed solely to maintain power, rather than to bring about real change in the country.
