The far-right founded by a Nazi wins in Austria to turn the country into a “fortress against immigration”

Accused of “high treason to the Austrian people” in the Anschluss of 1938, member of the SS with member number 292,775 and prisoner of war in Russia for two years in World War I, Anton Reinthaller He became the first leader of the FPÖ after leaving an American prison in Germany in 1950.

He Freedom Party -its translation into Spanish- then brought together in a single formation former Nazis without the right to vote in the first general elections after the Second World War and former nationalists in favor of a Greater Germany. And in a way, the formation that won the general elections in Austria this Sunday is not too far from its origins.

In favor of turning the country into a “fortress”, of strict immigration control, ultra-nationalist, Eurosceptic and, to a large extent, pro-Russian, the FPÖ became the most voted party in Austria this Sunday, with an advantage of just over three points about the People’s Party (ÖVP) and about nine points about the Social Democrats (SPÖ). Further behind are the liberal Neos party (8.8%) and Los Verdes (8.7%).

Ibizagate

Mountaineer and marathon runner, Herber Kickl is, above all, a man of the match. After abandoning two different careers at the University of Vienna, in 1995 he immersed himself fully in the depths of the party, first in the academy and then in the area of ​​campaign strategy and content. A full-fledged plumber who became the ideologue of the FPÖ and author of the incendiary speeches of the well-known Jörg Haider in the early 2000s.

General secretary of the party between 2005 and 2018 and considered by many others to be “the rudest politician” in France, he probably would not have come to lead the party if it had not been for the well-known Ibiza-Affäre.

In May 2019, a video secretly recorded in Ibiza two years earlier came to light in which Heinz-Christian Stracheuntil then Austrian vice-chancellor and leader of the FPÖ and Johann Gudenus, his second in the game, they were talking to a woman who posed as Alyona Makarovaniece of the Russian businessman Igor Makarov. In their talk, both politicians offered public contracts to the supposed media entrepreneur in exchange for positive media coverage for the party.

“Volkskanzler”

Karl Nehammerleader of the Austrian People’s Party, has defined him as “a danger to the security of the country” both for his ideology and for referring to himself as ‘Volkskanzler’. So, as “People’s Chancellor”, it is exactly like Adolf Hitler He defined himself in his speeches from the early 1930s. Their similarities, however, do not end there.

Kickl has taken advantage of widespread discontent over inflation and the war in Ukraine to rise to power, although, without a doubt, the strong point of his program is immigration.

Copying to donald trumpthe party’s program is titled “Austria First” and its motto, to leave no room for doubt, is “Austria, fortress of freedom.” His main promises during the campaign have ranged from cutting social benefits for irregular migrants and asylum seekers, blocking possibilities of family reunification even for migrants already in Austria, and promoting a “remigration” policy.

The FPÖ, in fact, has made it very clear that it is only willing to accept “legal and legitimate immigrants who are already integrated, speak the German language [y] fully recognize our values ​​and laws.” Only such people, the party believes, should have the right to stay in the country and obtain citizenship. In addition, the ultra party also promises to deport “foreigners convicted of a crime in Austria.”

Illegal immigration is, without a doubt, the biggest problem for Austrians. What’s more, the latest demographic studies place it as the main concern of citizens, who in recent years have seen how asylum requests – mainly from Syrians and Afghans – exceeded 400,000, while 120,000 Ukrainians have also arrived in the country. They flee the war with Russia.

Ultra Ascent

Austria now faces the difficulties of forming a government in which the popular Austrians would be the only ones willing to agree with the most voted list, although Nehammer, its leader and until now prime minister of the country, has already indicated that they will only agree if Kickl he steps aside. What’s more, Alexander Van der Bellenpresident of the country and member of Los Verdes, has added a new element to the equation since he has the power to entrust the formation of the government to the candidate who has the best chance of achieving it and not necessarily the one with the most votes and has already expressed his intention to avoid do it with Kickl at all costs.

Regardless of whether Kickl reaches the chancellorship or not, the ultra rise is inevitable today both in Austria and in the rest of Europe. In fact, if Kickl were to govern, he would make Austria the seventh country in the European Union with a government wholly or partially made up of the far right.

In Hungary Viktor Orban governs with absolute power – and never better said – while in Italy Giorgia Meloni He does it in coalition, but with the parties of the deceased Silvio Berlusconi and with the ultras of the formation of Matteo Salvini. Furthermore, Croatia, Slovakia and Finland have coalition executives and in both the Netherlands and Sweden the government is supported by the external support of the ultras.

All of the above cannot be separated from the latest regional elections in Germany, where the AfD achieved victory in Thuringia and came second in both Saxony and Brandenburg. Nor can we forget the last French elections, where the National Group of Marine Le Penalthough it did not confirm the expectations generated during the campaign, finished in third position and has forced Emmanuel Macron to form a government with a premier they like. And, obviously, the last elections to the European Parliament are the ones that have caused the most surprise with that 25% of MEPs making the European Parliament the most right-wing in its history.