Austria election live: polling on a knife-edge, with far-right Freedom party just ahead of incumbent leader

By The Guardian (World News) | Created at 2024-09-29 14:25:13 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:28:43 15 hours ago

‘Moment of truth’ for Austria as far right senses election triumph

Deborah Cole

Austrians are going to the polls today.

Riding a far-right surge in many parts of Europe, the pro-Kremlin, anti-migration Freedom party (FPÖ) and its leader, Herbert Kickl, are capitalising on fears around migration, asylum and crime heightened by the August cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over an alleged Islamist terror plot.

Mounting inflation, tepid economic growth and lingering resentment over strict government measures during Covid have dovetailed into an 11-point leap in the polls for the FPÖ since the last election in 2019.

Polling shows the election on a knife-edge, with the far right in the lead at 27%, two points ahead of the ÖVP of Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

The opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ) look set for third place with about 21%.

Despite devastating flooding this month from Storm Boris bringing the climate crisis to the fore, the Greens are on just 8%, nearly six points off their 2019 result.

Given the electoral maths, any winner will require a coalition to form a government.

The first polling stations opened at or shortly before 7am (0500 GMT). Projections are due minutes after polls close at 5pm, with results being finessed over the ensuing hours.

Read the full story here.

Chairman and top candidate of the Freedom Party of Austria Herbert Kickl speaks during the party's election rally in Vienna, Austria, 27 September 2024.

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What is the FPÖ?

Jon Henley

One of Europe’s oldest far-right parties, the FPÖ was founded in 1956. Despite being initially headed by a former Nazi functionary and SS officer, it was a relatively moderate liberal party until the mid-1980s, when it veered radically right under the firebrand leader Jörg Haider.

The party has twice been the junior partner in short-lived coalition governments with the conservative Austrian People’s party (ÖVP), after finishing second in the parliamentary elections of 1999 with 27% of the vote and third in 2017 with 26% of the vote.

Both coalitions ended early. Bitter FPÖ infighting led to the collapse of the first in 2002, and the so-called Ibizagate scandal in 2019 forced the resignation of the party’s then leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, and torpedoed the second after 18 months in office.

Now led by the controversial former interior minister Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ is nativist, anti-immigration, hostile to Islam and staunchly Eurosceptic. One of its MEPs, Harald Vilimsky, has described its electoral mission as “kicking the establishment in the butt”.

The FPÖ’s programme, “Fortress Austria, Fortress of Freedom”, plans to cut provision for irregular migrants and asylum seekers to a bare minimum, block family reunification for migrants already in Austria, and promote “remigration”, particularly for offenders.

It also wants to cut corporate tax and wage costs, and in foreign policy it is opposed to EU sanctions against Russia and further aid to Ukraine. The FPÖ has signed and renewed a “cooperation agreement” with Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.

Read the full explainer here.

Chairman and top candidate of the Freedom Party of Austria Herbert Kickl (C) and party members react during the party's election rally in Vienna, Austria, 27 September 2024.

Here are some images from election day in Austria.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer smiles while exiting a polling station in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, after casting his vote in the country’s national election.

Chairwoman and top candidate of NEOS Party (The New Austria and Liberal Forum) Beate Meinl-Reisinger (R) speaks with journalists after voting at a polling station in Vienna on September 29, 2024, during Austria’s general election.

Voters in traditional clothes leave after voting in Altaussee, Styria, Austria, on September 29, 2024, during Austria’s general election.