The extreme right is expanding in Europe with the electoral victory of the pro-Russian, eurosceptic and anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) in Sunday’s elections. With the extreme right in the Government in countries such as Italy, Hungary or the Netherlands and its advance in France and Germany, the rise of the ultra tide – and the rightwardization of traditional conservatives – is normalized in Europe, but in Brussels there is concern about the possibility of that Kickl will at some point become chancellor and join the most ultra and Eurosceptic wing in the European Council, along with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and the Slovak, Robert Fico.
The FPÖ, which did not obtain an absolute majority, is now fighting to form a government. It won’t be easy. The conservatives will be key, who on other occasions have agreed with the Freedom Party but now see their leader, the pro-Kremlin Herbert Kickl, as too radical. It is very possible that he will not reach the Government, but the ultra-nationalist and Eurosceptic leaders of the EU have been quick to celebrate the triumph of another of their own. “Another victory for the Patriots,” launched the national-populist Viktor Orbán, whose party, Fidesz, shares a European parliamentary group (Patriots for Europe) with the Austrians. “Identity, sovereignty, freedom and no more illegal immigration/asylum is what tens of millions of Europeans long for!” Dutchman Geert Wilders said on social media. A line very similar to that of the ultra-French Marine Le Pen, who has stated: “After the Italian, Dutch and French elections, this current that supports the defense of national interests, the safeguarding of identities and the resurrection of sovereignties confirms the triumph of peoples everywhere.”
Meanwhile, the national-populist international is looking askance at the Czech Republic, where elections will be held next year that may mean the return of the populist Andrej Babis. That would mark a major spike for the far right in the four central European countries that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the same time, in 2025, the Alternative for Germany ultras, who rose in the European elections and have had some regional victories, also hope to grow in the German federal elections.
With a more right-wing Commission, with a large majority of commissioners from the European People’s Party, and a European Chamber with more presence of the extreme right after the elections in the 27 member states last June, the addition of another ultra leader in the European Council — or ultra ministers in the EU Council—will be even more noticeable in immigration and green policies, and even in support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
“That in Austria, the far-right party FPÖ, founded by the Nazis after the Second World War, has become the leading force is bad news, not only for Austrians but for all of Europe,” lamented Iratxe García, president of the Socialists and Democrats group. “The popular Austrians will have to choose whether to let a party that was born from Nazism govern or join the socialists and other democratic forces. The time has come for the PP to decide if it is with those of us who protect democracy and those who normalize extremism,” he declared, questioning the conservatives.
In Brussels there is no shortage of those who warn that Austria was already a country with very right-leaning positions. Its current government, from the conservative party, has already maintained tough positions on issues such as migration and, although it has remained in the consensus of the pro-Ukraine coalition, it has not been characterized by major declarations of support for the invaded country. Hence, diplomatic sources send the message that before making conclusive assessments we will have to wait to see how the new Government is configured.
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Other sources from the European capital point out the same thing, adding that the victory of the Austrian Nazi-rooted party is “another sign that the dominant democratic forces will either find answers that address the concerns of citizens or the extremists will end up prevailing.”
