VIENNA — On Sunday, the Freedom Party won the first far-right national parliamentary election in Austria since World War II, defeating the ruling conservatives by capitalising on fears about immigration, inflation, Ukraine, and other concerns. However, its chances of governing were dubious. According to preliminary official figures, the Freedom Party won 29.2% of the vote, followed by Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party with 26.5%. The center-left Social Democrats came in third with 21%. The outgoing government, a partnership of Nehammer’s party and the environmentalist Greens, lost its majority in the lower house of parliament.

Herbert Kickl, a former interior minister and seasoned campaign strategist who has led the Freedom Party since 2021, want to become chancellor. However, in order to become Austria’s new leader, he would need to form a coalition with a majority in parliament. Rivals have declared they will not cooperate with Kickl in government. Frustration with excessive inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 outbreak have all aided the far right. It has also added to concerns about migration. In its electoral programme, branded “Fortress Austria,” the Freedom Party asks for “remigration of uninvited foreigners,” as well as creating a more “homogeneous” society by tightening border controls and suspending the right to asylum through an emergency law.

The Freedom Party also wants to eliminate sanctions against Russia, is strongly opposed to Western military help to Ukraine, and wants to withdraw from the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defence project initiated by Germany. Kickl has criticised “elites” in Brussels and advocated for the return of some powers from the European Union to Austria. “We don’t need to change our position because we’ve always said that we’re ready to lead a government and push for change in Austria alongside the people,” Kickl said during an appearance on ORF public television with other party leaders. “The other parties should examine themselves where they stand on democracy,” he continued, saying that they should “sleep on the results