Rise of the right in Europe as Austria Freedom Party set to take power

Jan 6

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Mathew Grisham (Producer), Jake Larsen (Video Editor)

After doubling their votes and winning the September 2024 election, Austria’s far right Freedom Party (FPÖ) now has a shot at governance and the chancellorship. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said on Monday, Jan. 6, that the FPÖ had a greenlight to try its hand at forming a coalition government after the second place party’s bid for a coalition failed over the weekend.

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The rightward trend has occurred across Europe in the past few years, from France’s National front, led by Marine Le Pen, narrowly losing, to a win by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and the recent rise in the polls of Germany’s AfD. The shift to the right also fits into the context of the United States, with President-elect Donald Trump soon taking over the White House again.

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The FPÖ was founded by a former Nazi SS officer in the 1950s, and has maintained third or fourth place in most elections since then. In 2017, the party formed a coalition with the ruling People’s Party, which fell apart in 2019. The FPÖ then garnered nearly 29% of the vote in the most recent election.

The party called for an end to sanctions on Russia and expressed criticism of Western support to Ukraine. Austria has a longstanding policy of neutrality, and could join other skeptical nations like Slovakia and Hungary in opposition to continued aid to the country.

Some American leaders have been critical of continued aid. Vice President-elect JD Vance is among the critics.

“I do not think that it is in America’s interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine,” Vance said in May 2024.

In 2022, Vance also said that he “did not care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”

Back in Austria, the FPÖ has called for a more “homogenous” country and for more border controls. While not all right-wing leaders in Europe call for an immediate end in European aid to Ukraine, Austria may be on the verge of doing so.

Tags: Austria, Donald Trump, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, JD Vance, Ukraine

AUSTRIA’S FAR-RIGHT FREEDOM PARTY IS NOW MOVING TO FORM A GOVERNMENT.

IT FOLLOWS A BIG ELECTION VICTORY IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE FPO – DOUBLING ITS VOTE COUNT FROM 2019.

A SHIFT TO THE RIGHT IS A TREND WE’RE SEEING ACROSS EUROPE – AND IN THE U-S AFTER PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP’S NOVEMBER VICTORY.

SOME OF THE LARGEST COUNTRIES, INCLUDING FRANCE, ITALY AND GERMANY HAVE SEEN RIGHT-WING PARTIES WIN OR COME CLOSE TO WINNING NATIONAL ELECTIONS.

NOW, THE FREEDOM PARTY IS PRIMED TO RUN AUSTRIA’S GOVERNMENT, AFTER THE SECOND-PLACE PARTY’S BID FOR A COALITION GOVERNMENT FAILED OVER THE WEEKEND.

AUSTRIA’S PRESIDENT SAYING HE’S GIVEN THE FPO A GREENLIGHT TO TRY ITS HAND AT FORMING A NEW GOVERNMENT.

THE FPO WAS FOUNDED BY A FORMER NAZI SS OFFICER IN THE 1950’S, AND THE PARTY HAS BEEN PART OF COALITION GOVERNMENTS IN THE PAST.

THE FPO’S LEADER HAS ALSO CALLED FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA TO END.

AUSTRIA HAS LONG MAINTAINED A POLICY OF MILITARY NEUTRALITY, AND COULD JOIN OTHER NATIONS LIKE SLOVAKIA AND HUNGARY IN OPPOSITION TO CONTINUED AID TO UKRAINE.

SUCH AID IS ALSO CONTENTIOUS IN THE U-S, WHERE TRUMP’S INCOMING VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF AID TO THE COUNTRY.

AND WHILE NOT ALL RIGHT-WING LEADERS IN EUROPE CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE END IN EUROPEAN AID TO UKRAINE, AUSTRIA MAY BE ON THE VERGE OF DOING SO.

FOR SAN, I’M LT.