Austria is holding a tight election and the far right is seeking a historic victory

By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrians are electing a new parliament on Sunday with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) aiming to secure its first general election victory in a neck-and-neck race with the ruling conservatives, dominated by economic and immigration concerns.

After months of polling, the FPO’s lead over the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) has shrunk to almost zero as Chancellor Karl Nehammer portrays himself as a statesman and his rival, FPO leader Herbert Kickel, as a toxic threat.

Polls show that whoever wins will be far behind the absolute majority, but will have the right to lead a coalition government. Forecasts will be released minutes after polls close at 5 p.m. (15:00 GMT), with results finalized in the coming hours.

“What is at stake is whether the FPO appoints a chancellor or not,” Kathrin Stainer-Haemmerle, professor of political science at the University of Applied Sciences in Carinthia.

“If this happened, I must say that Austria’s role in the European Union would be significantly different. “Kickl has often said that (Hungarian Prime Minister) Viktor Orban is a role model for him and he will support him.”

The Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO, critical of Islam and vowing to tighten rules on asylum seekers, won the nationwide vote for the first time in June, beating the OVP in the European elections by less than a percentage point.

An FPO victory would make Austria the latest European Union country to see growing far-right support following gains in countries including the Netherlands, France and Germany.

President Alexander Van der Bellen, who oversees government formation, expressed reservations about the FPO due to its criticism of the EU and failure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The party also opposes EU sanctions against Moscow, citing Austria’s neutrality.

He suggested he could thwart Kickel’s plans by noting that the constitution does not require him to ask the first-place party to form a government, even though that has long been the convention.

OVP, which, like FPO, supports tightening immigration rules and tax cuts, is the only party open to forming a coalition with the far-right party. Polls suggest they could gather a majority together, but Nehammer says his party will not enter government with Kickel.

“Ideally, I would melt for you, but I won’t do you that favor, Mr. Nehammer,” Kickl, 55, said this week when asked if he would step aside to allow his party to become a junior partner within the OVP.

“FORTRESS AUSTRIA”

Provocative and polarizing, Kickl relished his role as an opposition instigator, but at times he felt uncomfortable trying to soften his tone to increase his leadership appeal.

The FPO wants to stop granting asylum altogether and build an “Austrian fortress” to prevent migrants from entering, even though this would be widely seen as illegal or impractical.

In his campaign closing speech, Kickl said sanctions against Moscow were hurting Austria even more than Russia, and added: “And if you look at Germany, for example VW, the threat of mass unemployment and all that will then spill over to Austria.”

Nehammer sought to portray Kickel as a conspiracy theorist shouting from the sidelines as he governs Austria.

Nehammer, 51, has led a coalition with the left-wing Greens since 2021, but the alliance has been plagued by conflicts due to economic problems and worrying voter inflation.

Some voters believe Nehammer’s crisis management efforts in the face of severe floods that hit Austria this month likely contributed to his withdrawal from the election race.

Susanne Pinter, 55, a Greens supporter in Vienna, said the floods helped Nehammer look like a statesman because she was worried about the prospect of a far-right victory.

“If the FPO wins… it will have bad consequences for women, people with a migrant background and climate change,” she said.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Helen Popper)