Sep 30, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Austrian far-right party pushes to form government after election win

Rebecca Falconer

Lead candidate of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe) Herbert Kickl celebrates with supporters at the FPOe election evening party following Austrian parliamentary elections on September 29, 2024 in Vienna, Austria. — Lead candidate of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria Herbert Kickl celebrates with supporters at the FPO election evening party following Austrian parliamentary elections in Vienna, Austria, on Sunday. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Austria's Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl hailed a "new era" after preliminary results showed Sunday that the FPÖ had become the first far-right party to win in the country's parliamentary election since World War II, per EuroNews.

The big picture: Although the FPÖ's win reflects a growing trend across Europe that's seen voters lean toward anti-immigration, populist parties, the party is unlikely to form a coalition government as required by Austrian law.

That's because all other parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the FPÖ, with the exception of Chancellor Karl Nehammer's outgoing conservative People's Party (ÖVP). But Nehammer won't work with Kickl, citing the FPÖ leader's beliefs in conspiracy theories.
"You can't run a state sensibly and responsibly with him," Nehammer said, per EuroNews. "And I still stand by that."

By the numbers: The FPÖ won 28.8% of the vote and the ÖVP came second with 26.3%, according to ORF public television's projections that were based on the counting of more than 97% of the vote.

Go deeper: Hard-right politics grow across the globe

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Austrian far-right party pushes to form government after election win

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