Austria's Far-Right Revival: How the OVP's U-Turn is Paving the Way for Radical Leadership

The Austrian far-right FPÖ’s likely return to government raises concerns about the erosion of liberal democracy—and the centre-right’s complicity in enabling it.

https://www.socialeurope.eu/austrias-far-right-revival-how-the-ovps-u-turn-is-paving-the-way-for-radical-leadership


Herbert Kickl has been leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) since June 2021.

At the start of the year, Austria marked the thirtieth anniversary of its accession to the European Union in 1995. However, this celebration was soon overshadowed by the collapse of coalition negotiations among the People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS. The talks fell apart when NEOS withdrew, quickly followed by the ÖVP. Despite a shared goal of blocking far-right leader Herbert Kickl and keeping the Freedom Party (FPÖ) out of government, their common ground proved insufficient.

Shortly after the mainstream parties failed to agree, the president invited FPÖ leader Kickl to form a government. His party achieved its best-ever result in last September’s national election, garnering 29 percent of the vote. Although the ÖVP had previously ruled out forming a coalition with the “Kickl-FPÖ” but not the party itself, they soon reversed course after Kickl was handed the mandate. Members of the ÖVP who had labelled Kickl a “security risk” and vowed not to work under his leadership suddenly went silent on their earlier objections, preparing instead to enter talks with the far right.

Thus, three decades after joining the EU, Austria may soon have its first government led by the far-right, anti-EU FPÖ. The ÖVP, often referred to as Austria’s Europapartei (“Europe Party”), appears willing once again to partner with the far right, despite the FPÖ’s Eurosceptic rhetoric, admiration for Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, and its affiliation with the far-right, Eurosceptic “Patriots for Europe” faction in the European Parliament. The ÖVP seems ready to turn a blind eye to positions that, in principle, contradict the party’s pro-European values. While the ÖVP’s sudden shift on Kickl may surprise some, it is consistent with the party’s history of downplaying concerns about the far right. As early as October, citing “political traditions,” party members argued that the “Kickl-FPÖ,” as the election winner, should be given the opportunity to form a government.

There are two plausible explanations for why the ÖVP advocated for Kickl to receive the president’s mandate. First, they may have calculated that the FPÖ would fail to secure a coalition partner, as all other parties categorically refused to work with the far right. This scenario would position the ÖVP to step in and “finish the job,” enhancing its reputation as a reliable party. Alternatively, the ÖVP may have anticipated that the FPÖ, lacking other options, would turn to them for a coalition, providing two strategic advantages: increased leverage in negotiations and the ability to portray itself as a reluctant but dutiful participant, prioritising Austria’s need for stable governance. This approach would also spare the ÖVP from prolonged and likely fruitless negotiations with the SPÖ, given their ideological differences on key issues such as socio-economic policy.

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